› added 6 years ago

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TIL Suzuki Hayabusa, the fastest bike ever when introduced, was named so after the peregrine falcon, which can dive at up to 300 km/h (close to the bikes top speed), and also because it preys on blackbirds, also the name of the then fastest bike the Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird.

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BrkmL TIL Sue Grafton, known author of the "alphabet series" ('"A" Is for Alibi', '"B" Is for Burglar', etc) died months after the release of '"Y" is for Yesterday', leaving her one book shy of the complete series.
mxa4O TIL that Edward Rulloff, a 19th-century serial killer, doctor, philologist, and inventor, was deemed so intelligent that even after his conviction for murder, some believed he was too valuable to be hanged. Even Mark Twain jokingly offered to find a replacement to take his place at the gallows.
JJ58 TIL that a scientist once wore glasses with flipped lenses so everything was upside down. After a while, his brain flipped the image so he could see normally again. However, when he took the glasses off, he’s brain continued doing this and his normal vision remained flipped.
dDKej TIL about Charles Neil and his involvement in the Neil-Reynolds report. President Roosevelt sent Neil and James Reynolds to inspect reports of bad slaughterhouse conditions. Their report, which highlighted revolting issues with American meats, led to the passage of the Meat Inspection Act.
pKpG TIL of George Stinney, the youngest person ever executed in America, at 14. He was wrongly charged for murder after finding the bodies of two white girls in South Carolina.