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TIL the 1755 Lisbon earthquake inspired major developments in theodicy. As the first earthquake studied scientifically for its effects over a large area, it led to the birth of modern seismology and earthquake engineering.

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neRyP TIL about Bamboo torture where a person would be fixed in place over fast growing bamboo to be impaled over time.
rpno TIL The Boston Miracle resulted in a 79% drop in youth homicides in the 1990s after juvenile handgun homicides more than tripled from 22 victims in 1987 to 73 victims in 1990. A young youth pastor, Rev. Jeffrey Brown, simply went into the streets and listened to gang members problems.
6AXZ TIL during the 1981 Indy 500, a driver and a mechanic were engulfed in a flameless and smokeless methanol fire.
1ao8O TIL of Uncle O’Grimacey, a McDonaldland character introduced in 1977 to promote the Shamrock Shake.
VMQbD TIL the original "laugh track" used in sitcoms was a physical instrument like an organ, was held under lock and key, and was owned and operated by only one man who knew how it worked. Charley Douglass used his "laff box" to create the laugh track for almost every sitcom in the 50s, 60s, and 70s.