› added 5 years ago

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TIL that Argentina had the world's highest GDP per capita in the 1890's and was in the top fifteen wealthiest economies till the 1950's

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JYAPV TIL that Bob Barker stepped down as host of Miss USA/Universe pageants after 20 years after his request that fur prizes for the contestants be removed was refused. Following his wife's death Barker became a staunch advocate for animal rights.
Xyv6 TIL that the term “Gaslighting” comes from a 1938 stage play called Gas Light in which a husband tries to make his wife think she’s going insane through mental manipulation
VBnwB TIL that proposals for a link between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland were proposed satirically as early as 1799, and seriously from 1886 onwards, but no viable plan for either a bridge or tunnel has ever been put forwards
N7paQ TIL Pikachu's name is mix of the Japanese for sparkle, pikapika, and the sound of squeaking, which is chūchū. So Pikachu's name means "Sparkle-squeak"
wolB1 TIL Washing your hands with plain soap is probably better than using antibacterial soap in the long run