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TIL Alberta, Canada has been virtually rat free for decades. The provincial government has maintained a successful rat extermination program since shortly after World War II.

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P1p5O TIL: Telecommunication companies participate in each countries' "spectrum auction" in which they bid on the right to use specific bands of the electromagnetic spectrum for a time period. In the US, the FCC has raised over $60 billion from the bids so far.
M7E7b TIL that in 1800, the U.S. birthrate was higher than in any European nation. The typical woman bore 7 children, starting around age 23 and continuing in two-year intervals until menopause. Had this pattern continued, the U.S. population would have reached 2 billion by 1990.
yXmv TIL the Vietnam war was the only war in which military dogs were classified as expendable equipment, and not allowed to return home. 3800 out of 4000 dogs were left behind.
p8JxZ TIL every time a global epidemic happens (like the 2014 Ebola outbreak), sales of the app ‎Plague Inc. skyrocket.
b6OZ4 TIL Lacrosse descends from a version played by Native Americans in the 17th century. Games could last several days with as many as 1,000 players per team, on a field with goals up to 6 miles apart. Sticks were so treasured, players were often buried with them upon death.