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TIL That the Prawns in the movie District 9 are not called that because of shrimp, but are in reference to the Parktown prawn which is a cricket native to South Africa.

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698n7 TIL of Aldgate Pump, a historic water pump held as marking the start of London’s East End. Long famed for its “sparkling, agreeable” water, it was later found that this rich mineral taste came from the flesh and bones of nearby cemeteries leeching into the water. The tainted water killed hundreds.
neNnP TIL Saburō Sakai, a Japanese WWII fighter ace, was shot through his goggle by a turret gunner. The 7.62 mm bullet passed through his brain, blinding one eye and paralyzing one side of his body. Despite this, he landed his plane and returned to battle a year later.
5Vx8Q TIL the term leap year probably comes from the fact that a fixed date in the Gregorian calendar normally advances one day of the week from one year to the next, but the day of the week in the 12 months following the leap day will advance two days due to the extra day, thus leaping over one day.
QJ0Q9 TIL about the '91 Louisiana governor's race, which pitted corrupt Democrat Edwin Edwards against former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke. Voters were urged to "vote for the lizard, not the wizard." Duke lost by only 11% despite near-total denouncement by the Republican party, including President Bush.
m1xxR TIL the animals at the Biblical Zoo of Jerusalem keep Passover---four to six weeks before the holiday, all feed is switched from wheat-based to rice-based