› added 6 years ago

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TIL Catherine Corless helped unearth devastating history of nuns from the Bon Secours order in Tuam, Ireland disposed of at least 796 babies in their septic system because they were illegitimate. Most died of neglect.

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B09d TIL that scholars have only translated or read 30,000 of the 2 million known cuneiform tablets.
rrpd TIL the difference between white and dark meat is due to the difference in fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscles, respectively. This is why ground-based birds like chickens and turkeys have white meat for breasts and wings while flying birds like duck and geese have dark meat.
Y765A TIL that Charles Whitman, the Texas Tower shooter, requested an autopsy to discover the cause of his violent behavior. The autopsy revealed a tumor pressing on his amygdala, which might have influenced his actions.
wnV7 TIL The Singer Sewing Machine Company built 500 1911 pistols for the US Government in 1939 and they are one of the most collectable firearms of that era.
6EpbW TIL During WWII the Japanese were responsible for killing 500,000 Chinese by using insect "Yagi Bombs" which consisted a two compartment, one with houseflies and another with a bacterial slurry.