› added 5 years ago

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TIL about Gulf War Illness: Over 1/3 of the veterans that served in the Gulf War experience the same horrendous symptoms, all caused by chemicals the US chose to expose them to. 7,424 of 7,845 claims of GW veterans were denied between 1994 and 1996 - and it's still hard for them to get a diagnosis.

KYmj6 TIL the town of Coachella was originally going to be called Conchilla, meaning "little shells" in Spanish due to all the seashells found in the area. During the process the printers misread the documents and they were filed with Conchilla spelled 'Coachella' and they just decided to accept it.
gMKOb TIL: Charlie Chaplin made the Hitler taunting film, "The Incomparable Despot", in 1940 utilizing his own cash since none of the Hollywood studios were happy with infuriating the Germans as they had money related relations with them. The film is said to be perhaps the best work of Charlie Chaplin.
lagG Til of Galvarino, the Mapuche Warrior, who after having his hands chopped off by Conquistadors, would have knives attached to his wrists and fight in the war against Spain.
Nal6 TIL of Bertha Benz, wife of the inventor of the first modern automobile, who made the first ever long-distance drive to market the invention. Along the way, she used her garter to repair the ignition and invented the first pair of brake pads. The 66mi trip took her the entire day.
OGXBe TIL of the 4 students who passed their final exams in Einstein's department, he got the lowest mark & was the only one who wasn't offered a job as an assistant teacher at their alma mater. After graduation, he struggled to find teaching work for 2 years. So a friend got him a job as a patent clerk.