› added 12 years ago

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TIL alligator immune systems are so awesome that their blood can eradicate most things we try to infect it with, including salmonella, strep, staph, E. Coli, some straings of dysentery causing bacteria, herpes and HIV

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DRnJ TIL A group of amateur scientists launched 200 paper airplanes from an elevation of 23 miles with a weather balloon. Launched in Germany, the airplanes flew as far as Canada, Australia, India, and even South Africa.
b9NB9 TIL in the 1930s NBC Radio added a 4th Chime to their 3 Chime jingle, alerting employees that historic news was happening, and all staff members needed to report. The 4th Chime was used after the Hindenburg explosion, and on D-Day
gM9LL TIL "Mayhem" is felony -- defined as disabling or disfiguring someone, and in 1936 an American heiress was charged with mayhem for ordering doctors to sterilize her 20-year-old daughter as punishment for promiscuity and to steal her inheritance.
GYEE7 TIL that bobby Riggs bet on himself to win the Men's Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles of Wimbledon in 1939, which he did, winning himself the 2020 equivalent of $2M USD
4XRYg TIL about Michael Gillespie, a computer repair shop employee who decrypts ransomware in his downtime and helps victims for free. The FBI honored him with a Community Leadership Award in 2017.