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TIL JFK’s PT-109 patrol boat came under attack near the Solomon Islands, and sunk. Swam 3.5 miles to the island. He then etched an SOS message into a coconut shell, asked two natives to deliver it to a nearby base in order to arrange for their rescue. He later turned the shell into a paper weight.

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neGnb TIL that an observatory in Germany is designed to look like R2-D2.
b9Ob7 TIL that almost all Korean people lack the gene that is responsible for underarm odour. As a result tourists have a terribly hard time finding deodorant in Korea
4XM6J TIL a volcanic eruption in 1815 led to the development of Mormonism, Frankenstein, and the modern bicycle. Famines made Joseph Smith move, inspiring The Book of Mormon. Rains made Mary Shelley stay inside, inspiring Frankenstein. No feed for horses created the need for a self-propelled transport...
0kYy TIL of “RISUG”; a cheap, 100% effective contraceptive for men, that lasts for 8-10 years without side effects, but has yet to reach the public due to lack of funding and volunteers.
GY6w4 TIL Austrians and Germans have their washing machines in their bathrooms.