› added 7 years ago

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TIL the 9/11 tragedy released a cloud of asbestos fibers over NYC. 400 tons of asbestos was in the WTC building. An estimated 410,000 people were exposed to the toxic substance. Nearly 70% of rescuers have lung problems. Experts expect cancer diagnoses to peak in 2041-four decades after the attack.

Read more asbestos.com

via ift.tt

wn9Y TIL California paid $1M towards the extermination of Native American tribes. Later, CA paid a bounty of $5 a head for any Native.
78ZD7 TIL that the British won a significant naval victory after the Battle of Yorktown in the Caribbean, called the Battle of the Saintes, which returned their advantage at sea. This had a major impact on the post-American Revolution peace treaty giving the British much better terms.
AVmx TIL that in September 1950, the US Navy sprayed San Francisco with “harmless” bacteria to simulate a biological attack. The not-so-harmless bacteria caused a spike in a rare UTI, killing one man. A lawsuit against the government was rejected on the grounds that the government held legal immunity.
dn88 TIL that Stanley Kubrick had shown an interest in directing a porn, but then concluded that he did not have the patience or temperament to become involved in the porn industry
pkKN TIL that traditional Japanese buildings do not use nails or glue. Instead, timbers are connected by elaborate dovetail joints.