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TIL Dmitri Mendeleev, a Russian chemist and teacher, devised the periodic table. In 1867, one day after working for three straight days, he got the inspiration from a dream: "Awakening, I immediately wrote it down on a piece of paper.” He named his discovery the “periodic table of the elements.”

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698Z TIL that, prior to WWII in the United States, Einstein was so well-known that people regularly stopped him on the street to inquire about his theories, to which he began replying, “Pardon me, I am often mistaken for Professor Einstein.”
vZO7 TIL that in 1976 as a show of force after 2 marines were killed by North Korean guards wielding axes who crossed the DMZ, a joint US-South Korean army brigade invaded North Korea in overwhelming force, only to cut down a tree and leave.
m1WyM TIL Tic Tacs are labeled as 0 calories per serving in the US but 387 calories per 100g in Europe. The difference is due to regulations: in the US, anything under 5 calories per serving can be rounded down to 0, while Europe lists the full calorie count per 100g, making the difference seem huge
VOO0 TIL during the filming of “Titanic” someone put the drug PCP in lobster chowder that was served to the cast and crew. 80 people were hospitalized with hallucinations. Upon hearing of this James Cameron made himself vomit before the effects of the drug fully kicked in.
XleR TIL of the death of PFC LaVena Johnson, who was found dead in 2005 at a base in Balad, Iraq. Initially ruled a suicide, an autopsy revealed she a broken nose, black eye, loose teeth, and burns from corrosive chemicals on her genitals. The Army has refused to reopen the case.