› added 2 years ago

85

TIL of Picher, OK it was a lead mining town that became a superfund site.

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Pg4J TIL that when margarine was introduced, a few states required it to be dyed pink so buyers would immediately know it is artificial - these “pink” laws were later declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court
X0v0D TIL that in 2023 British Firearms officers discharged their weapon at a person only 4 times during the entire year.
kmne TIL that Big Bertha, a gun used during WW1, was so powerful that troops had to move 300 yards away and put cotton wads in their ears, eyes, and nose, as well as open their mouths, so that their eardrums weren’t burst by the blast presure
pYA44 TIL about the tapetum lucidum of Arctic reindeer eyes, which changes color from gold in summer to blue in winter to improve their vision during times of continuous darkness, and perhaps enable them to better spot predators. They can also see within the ultraviolet range.
gM9g8 TIL X-Men writer Chris Claremont confirmed that Malcolm X was an inspiration for Magneto's character development, and Martin Luther King Jr was for Professor X.