› added 8 months ago

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TIL that Humpback whales have recovered to 93% of their pre-whaling population of 27,000 after being reduced to only about 450 in the mid-1950s.

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vm4R TIL a German man has been travelling around the world non-stop on a bike for over 50 years.
LkOQv TIL that there was a hermit at North Pond who lived 27 years in the woods of Maine with over 1000 cases of burglary to stay alive
KYo0R TIL Roy Benavidez, armed with a knife, went to assist a 12 man SF team who were surrounded by 1,000 NVA soldiers, and provided cover fire . After the battle he was evacuated, having 37 bayonet, bullet and shrapnel wounds, was presumed dead, and placed in a body bag, but was later found to be alive.
YpBVx TIL Franklin Sprague, an amateur tinkerer, in 1888 managed to build the very first electrified rail system that spanned 12 miles - a feat that was accomplished in just 90 days and paved the way for a viable mass transit system
b9ej0 TIL that during construction of the Taj Mahal, a massive brick scaffold was built, and estimates said it would take years to dismantle after completion. According to legend, the Shah declared that anyone could keep the bricks from the scaffold, and it was dismantled overnight by peasants.