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TIL that Wilbur Wright (the older of the Wright Brothers) got his teeth knocked out at age 18, changing the course of his future. The boy who knocked his teeth out, Oliver Cook Haugh, grew up to become a notorious Midwest serial killer.

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QN0OM TIL that cat litter can be used as a cost-effective and realistic alternative to traditional ballast for model railroads. Non-clumping and unscented cat litter is recommended due to its texture and appearance closely resembling real railroad ballast.
WwB4 TIL that psychologist B. F. Skinner got pigeons to repeat strange “rituals” by dropping food into their cage at random intervals – the birds associated their actions before the treats with reward, and demonstrated superstitious repetition of those actions
QNeLe TIL Wife selling was an alternative to expensive divorce in 17th century England. The sake was announced in advance and took the form of an auction, often at a local market, to which the wife would be led by a halter (usually of rope but sometimes of ribbon)around her neck, or arm.
JYARm TIL: An observational study of hand washing after toilet use at an Infectious Disease conference found that compliance with hand hygiene after toilet visits was 84% for conference participants, 75% for members of the public, and only 46% for hospital staff.
R7w0l TIL: Ancients measured long distances by hiring "bematists." They were trained to count steps while walking between locations and could measure hundreds of miles with 95%+ accuracy. Eratosthenes used one to calculate the circumference of the Earth within 15% in 240 B.C.E.