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TIL in 1958, Mao Zedong ordered the Chinese people to kill all the sparrows in the country to protect the rice crops. The effort backfired as, without the sparrows to eat insects, the locust population exploded and wiped out food crops, contributing to the starvation of tens of millions of people.

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De0j TIL that when Judge Judy says, “You owe her $5,000,” the defendant doesn’t really owe $5,000. The producers pay any damages and the defendant even gets paid to be there.
JXyj TIL a fur trapper named Ben Cochrum was attacked by wolves in 1922. After shooting seven wolves and beating four to death with his gun, the stock broke and he succumbed to being “torn to shreds”. His body was found surrounded by the remains of the 11 wolves he had killed fighting for his life.
x6e5g TIL about SubTropolis, a giant former limestone mine under Kansas City that was converted into the world’s largest underground business complex. The 1,100-acre complex is accessed through tunnels, and as of 2015, 1,600 people worked there.
M7xQK TIL that not only were HP Lovecraft and Harry Houdini good friends, Lovecraft wrote a short story "Under the Pyramids" starring Houdini as a man character.
woLxo TIL about the Horse, Sergeant Reckless. A Horse who served with the marines in Korea. She was able to haul ammunition by herself without a handler, would seek a bunker or lay down when under fire and received two purple hearts as well as other medals for her service in the Korean war.