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TIL that in 1997, a crew member on the USS Yorktown (CG-48) entered 0 into a database field. It caused the Remote Data Base Manager to attempt to divide by zero, causing all machinery on the network to stop working, including the propulsion system.

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W7NZN TIL that some people carry a gene called ABCC11: the “no body odor gene” which produces odorless armpit sweat and dry ear wax.
Z845v TIL that in 2008, fossilized ink sacs we recovered from preserved remains of Belemnotheutis cephalopods. Mixed with ammonia solution, the team was able to return the ink to its liquid form and used the ~150 million year old ink to draw a replica of of the original illustration of Belemnotheutis.
R5KM8 TIL Marcus Licinius Crassus, often called "the richest man in Rome," formed the first fire brigade, saving burning buildings only if owners sold at a low price. Otherwise, he let them burn. The buildings would then be leased back to the former owners.
NGGQ TIL that the guy in the cowboy hat saving lives at the Boston Marathon bombings today tried to kill himself in 2004 after hearing that his son was killed in Iraq.
WGGd TIL - That during the peak of Ebola news in 2014 people started to avoid Liberia airport in Costa Rica thinking that it was the country in Africa.