› added 9 years ago

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TIL that a priest on the Titanic refused to board a life boat twice, and instead stayed behind to hear confessions and give absolution to the people left on the ship.

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via reddit.com

OaG4 TIL Indian Vulture suffered a 99% population decrease in Indo-Pak between 2000-2007 due to poisoning caused by the veterinary drug diclofenac. (Reduces joint pain in cattle and keeps them working for longer in old age). The drug enters vultures from the flesh of dead cattle.
XElyr TIL Shirley Temple's daughter played bass for influential rock band Melvins.
8a1WL TIL that the Japanese translator of the Salman Rushdie book, The Satanic Verses, was killed and the Italian Translator was wounded in separate attacks as part of the 'Fatwa' issued by Iran.
xVnJg TIL Physicist Freeman Dyson, who died in late February, was the first to propose advanced aliens would likely build "Dyson Spheres" around their home stars, which are giant shells that capture most of a star's energy to help power an entire interplanetary civilization.
KOR6R TIL that fireflies are actually beatles.