› added 6 years ago

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TIL of Bill Irwin, the first profoundly blind man to hike the Appalachian Trail. He completed the journey with the help of his guide dog, Orient.

Read more appalachiantrail.com

via reddit.com

ML4K TIL that in WW1 only two nations did not execute their soldiers for desertion, the United States and Australia.
DQElg TIL that when French forces led by King Francis I attacked Arles in southern France in 1536, the word "grenade" was first used. Firepots, kegs, jars, and glass globes were used to make the first grenades. The Germans quickly began using two grenade variants (stick and egg).
5YmXk TIL that before becoming a cult leader and murderer, Charles Manson was a song writer who had songs performed by a number of artists, including The Beach Boys.
PYNgZ TIL the reason I can no longer get my favorite '90s reception sticks is because the maker sold the recipe to a company that then sold it later to a food company. They are holding onto the recipe as they don't produce food items but just food ingredients like canola oil.
gr0aW TIL that the longest scientific name of any living or fossil organism is Myxococcus llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogochensis, a bacterium isolated from soil collected at Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, one of the longest place names in the world.