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157

TIL that Major General Henry A. Barnum was shot through the side in the Civil War. Assumed dead, he was taken prisoner and survived. He kept the bullet tract open as a trophy by running a ramrod through the wound every day. He was later shot in two more battles, and survived them both.

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vgW4 TIL food manufacturers make chip bags noisy in order to subconsciously convince you the chips taste good, “research has shown that if people hear the sound of the packaging crumpling while they’re eating the chips they will think the chips are crisper, crunchier, fresher … better”
NoPJ TIL of Lake Karachay, a lake in Russia that was used as a radioactive waste dump, and has been described as the most polluted place on the planet. Standing on the shore for an hour would give you a lethal dose of radiation.
6Ew67 TIL: Cleopatras' fame as a beautiful seductive master was entirely made by Octavian as a way of explaining how this foreign queen managed to seduce two of Rome's most powerful men, while being described as a beauty, she was best known for her intelligence and charm.
awVwA TIL: Bees are not supposed to die after they sting. They usually sting away as many times as they want but only die when they sting humans. This is because their barbed stinger cannot cope with fleshy human skin, tearing away their abdomen when they try to pull away after stinging.
XEAM6 TIL an episode of the kids show Peppa Pig that claims spiders are friendly and won't hurt you has been pulled from the air in Australia multiple times. It's considered too dangerous a message to teach to Australian children.