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TIL that life expectancy at birth probably averaged only about 10 years for most of human history

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ek95 TIL the Nazis forced approximately 90 Gypsy inmates to drink nothing but seawater just to see what would happen. The resulting dehydration was so severe that inmates licked newly mopped floors just to get a single drop of fresh water.
69bo7 TIL the art of surfing was first brought to California by Hawaiian prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole and his brothers, who taught Santa Cruz locals how to surf in 1885. He later brought surfing to England in 1890.
b9N57 TIL for the longest time (not anymore) the fastest man made object was a manhole cover blown into space in 1957 by the US with a nuclear bomb. They estimated approx. 125000 mp/h (200000 km/h). This would have had them zipping past Pluto around 1961.
9YJ4m TIL About the "Great Cat Massacre" In 17th century Paris a group of apprentices, angered that they were treated worse than cats, imitated the felines screeching all night. The master ordered the noisy cats killed. The apprentices held a trial, convicted the cats of witchcraft, and hung them.
nerGo TIL The Earth has another continent called Zealandia. The entire continent sank after breaking away from Australia around 65-80 million years ago