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TIL The Carrington Event (1859) was the most intense recorded geomagnetic storm, it created auroras globally and lit telegraph stations on fire

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Eoex TIL the winner of 1904 Olympic marathon hitched a ten mile ride in an auto. The 2nd place finisher attempted to boost his speed with brandy and rat poison. The 4th place finisher was sickened by bad apples and took a mid-race nap. The 9th place finisher was driven off the course by aggressive dogs.
4XNog Hangovers are actually more than a feeling, though — they're a measurable impairment. This morning-after feeling isn't so different from drunkenness, according to a new study.
Oopv1 TIL that in 1921, spiritualists Thomas Lynn Bradford and Ruth Doran decided to test whether it was possible to communicate with the dead. Bradford killed himself by sealing his apartment and turning on his gas stove, and planned to appear as a ghost to Doran after his death. He didn't.
b9GAj TIL explode and applause are both derived from the same word 'applaudo' - theatregoers in Ancient Rome would clap loudly to drive unpopular characters off the stage - or 'explode'.
BgKXb TIL Spartan law forbade the marriage of a girl until she was in her late teens or early 20s. The reasons were to ensure the birth of healthy children; and to spare women the risks and lifelong health damage associated with adolescent pregnancy.