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TIL in 1963 Popular Science magazine advocate an efficient way to dispose of used motor oil, by using a hole filled with gravel. The oil "will be absorbed into the ground before your next (oil) change".

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VGbZ TIL Ahmad Shah Massoud was an Afghan resistance leader, who in April 2001 warned the European Parliament about a large-scale terrorist attack on U.S. soil being imminent. He was assassinated on September 9, 2001, 2 days before the 9/11 attacks.
mNRO TIL after the Watergate scandal, Steve Rogers was so distraught that he abandoned his role as Captain America. He later re-assumed his identity only after realizing that Captain America was a symbol of American ideals, not the government.
69XKw TIL about Ota Benga, an indigenous Mbuti who was featured at a 1904 human zoo (Louisiana Purchase Exposition). There he was kept, caged, with an orangutan as an attempt to ridicule Darwinism. He was given a bow and arrow so as to "enhance the primitive image".
0ww1j TIL that Roman concrete, subject to marine corrosion, has stood for over 2000 years, while modern cement can break down in as few as 50 years. The concrete the Romans used contained volcanic ash and got stronger over time: the ash was slowly replaced with Al-tobermorite, a rare hydrothermal mineral.
VoZp TIL that horseshoe crab blood coagulates instantly when encountering one part per trillion of E Coli or Salmonella, and is used medically for detecting those. It also happens to be blue when oxygenated, and clear in the veins. (Props to Unidan for starting the bunny trail)