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TIL the GDP of the 48 poorest nations in the world (a quarter of the worlds countries) is less than the wealth of the world’s three richest people combined.

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b477 TIL AT&T almost caused nuclear war. In 1961, the US lost contact with its early warning systems. Assuming the USSR had attacked, bombers were scrambled but recalled when contact was made with an EWS base. The phone blackout was caused by a faulty AT&T switch they had promised to replace.
xV0LD TIL that in 1833, the first passenger ship to make a transatlantic voyage almost entirely steam-powered was the SS Royal William
jKnM TIL in 1896 Auburn ROTC cadets greased the skids of a railway track before a football game. The train with the incoming team couldn’t stop and slid halfway to the next town, forcing them to walk 5 miles to the game and possibly contributing to their 45-0 loss.
ep4WE TIL that Common Law Marriage is only actually recognized in 7 U.S. States and DC
V4G4 TIL there is an unaired Mythbusters episode. Groups of mice were used to test if “the box is more nutritious than the cereal”. The mice in one of the groups were eating “pallets of cardboard”. One day they checked and there were no longer 3 mice in that group, but 1 really fat mouse.