› added 5 years ago

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TIL up to 95% of the historic structures in the city of Mecca have been demolished over the last three decades. Many of the sites were over 1000 years old and many were connected to the life and times of the prophet Muhammad and his companions.

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69dk8 TIL the first railroad fatality was William Huskisson, who crossed tracks to shake hands with the Duke of Wellington
VRvZ TIL that Roman Emperor Augustus witnessed a man attempt to feed a slave to lamprey eels as a punishment for breaking a cup. Augustus freed the slave and had the rest of the man’s cups broken.
Ooo81 TIL Indian sadhu, Prahlad Jani, claims to have lived without food and water since 1940 and have passed scientific tests in 2010 where he lived for 15 days without food/water while under doctor observation.
D1AAY TIL that sugar is added to dog food to make dogs become addicted to certain brands.
M7JkA TIL that during the War of 1812, Britain occupied and intended to annex the modern American state of Maine, even setting up a government for the “Crown Colony of New Ireland”, which collected £10,000 in tax revenues by war’s end