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TIL It has been 50 years since Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with motor-neuron disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Hawking’s condition was first diagnosed when he was 21, and he was not expected to see his 25th birthday.

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6EK9W TIL that in the 1950s, Mao's government purged capitalists and political opponents by abusing them verbally and physically until they confessed, often committing suicide. Jumping from tall buildings became so common that people avoided walking near skyscrapers, afraid that bodies might land on them
RDk7 TIL that in 1982, People Magazine reported that 62-year-old actor Abe Vigoda had died. They are still wrong.
gMdbX TIL that rice farmers often put fish into their water-laden fields in a process called “rice-fish culture.” The fish act as pest control, improve oxygen circulation, and can even fertilize the soil with their droppings. This can increase the crop yield by 10% or more.
x65Jg TIL Oreos are an imitation of the Hydrox chocolate cream-centered cookie introduced in 1908, but they outstripped Hydrox in popularity so much that many think Hydrox is an imitation of Oreo
Bgv8y TIL that those various "Heidi" movies are based on a true story