› added 6 years ago

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TIL Scientists accidentally discovered that grazing animals prevent grasslands from becoming desert after they killed thousands of elephants to try and conserve remaining grasslands, yet it actually made desertification worse. When they increased the number of grazing animals it restored the land.

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YppmA TIL Boston City Hall has been described as "one of the world's ugliest buildings".
E5o TIL that when King Abdullah visited England the band of The Welsh Guard was forced to play a song for him (it’s tradition). Many members of the band disagreed with his policies, so they decided to play “The Imperial March” from Star Wars.
m0ov TIL, Neil Armstrong used to tell unfunny jokes about the Moon, and follow them up with “Ah, I guess you had to be there.”
b9d14 TIL of Georg Ferdinand Duckwitz, a German diplomat who during WW2 warned Danish Jews of their impending deportation and organised their rescue to Sweden, resulting in 95% of Jewish Danes fleeing successfully.
4kOWJ TIL Pablo Escobar illegally imported four hippos to Colombia. After they escaped these 'cocaine hippos' reproduced rapidly, becoming the largest invasive animal species in the world as they threaten local wildlife