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TIL That the first Victoria Cross was awarded to a 20 year old Ships Mate, for picking up a live shell that landed on the deck and throwing it overboard. He was promoted on the spot, rose to the rank of Rear Admiral and married the Captains daughter.

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5YpGR TIL In the 1890s, electric bicycles were documented within various U.S. patents. However, in 1992 hardly any commercial electric bicycles were available and the terms E-Bike, power bike, pedelec, assisted bicycle, and power-assisted bicycle only became popular by 2001
vPE9j TIL The notion that lobster was such a low-quality food that prisoners in New England rioted if it was over-served and indentured servants had contracts stating they could only have lobster three times a week is actually a myth
xVGJB TIL There is a clear ceramic made out of Aluminum that is stronger than bulletproof glass, and has a higher melting point than stainless steel. It is called ALON, and is used for armored windows.
QJAXX TIL that for decades, anatomists and zoologists were confounded by the origin of whales. Then, at the end of the 20th century, a wealth of fossil finds provided a detailed outline of how hoofed land mammals became the sea’s largest swimmers.
AD1bw TIL of the mysterious Williamson Tunnels in Liverpool, England, a series of extensive subterranean excavations, of unknown purpose.