› added 9 years ago

162

TIL that in 1983, the average life expectancy for a person with Down Syndrome was only 25 years old. It is now 60 years old.

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8eM6X TIL of Daniel Sickles. He shot the son of Francis Scott Key in broad daylight for sleeping with his wife, and was the first person acquitted under the insanity defense. Later he was appointed a Union general, and lost his leg disobeying orders. He regularly claimed to be 6 years younger than he was.
9wxD6 TIL that Bruce Gamble was a goalie in the NHL for ten years, but his career ended after he suffered a heart attack during a game. He completed the game and did not complain of problems until afterward. He was admitted to a hospital the next day, where it was found that he had had a heart attack.
LkJWd TIL the British Royal Navy allows sailors to have facial hair, but only if they can grow a "sufficiently thorough beard" within 14 days.
re61 TIL that in the ‘80s Susan B. Anthony dollars were so unpopular the US Mint had to keep $500 million worth of the coins in storage because there was no demand to circulate them.
16kVO TIL that “vampire” drones dock on power lines and recharge by “feeding” on the grid. They never need to land.