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553

TIL In 1860, 1 out of every 7 Americans were slaves to another American.

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5YJan TIL In 1903, the New York Times declared that "flying machines" were essentially a waste of time—only a week before the Wright brothers successfully flew their airplane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
e0QnD TIL that in Japan, you give gifts with both hands and you receive gifts with both hands
yVLbe TIL Princess Margriet of the Netherlands (whose family had fled the Nazi occupation during WWII) was born in an Ottawa hospital where it was temporarily declared extraterritorial by the Canadian government, so that the newborn would only inherit Dutch citizenship and not be a British subject.
NjY8 TIL the citizens of Nova Scotia, Canada gladly donate their largest Christmas tree to Boston every year as a token of their gratitude, since Boston was one of the first cities to help them after the big Halifax Explosion.
Eg9AV TIL Geosmin compound causes the earthy petrichor smell of rain after a dry spell, also causes muddy freshwater fish taste...diminished by acidic cooking