› added 9 years ago

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TIL that Alabama governor George Wallace, known for his pro-segregation stance which he later recanted, appointed more black members to state positions during his final term than any other governor in the state to this day.

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woxQ1 TIL about “Snotbot,” a drone used by scientists to fly through whale exhalation plumes to gather information about whale health and ecology, DNA, stress and pregnancy hormones, microbiomes, etc.
0dWYv TIL along with the more commonly seen Double Gloucester cheese, there is a Single Gloucester which unlike the Double Gloucester, must be made in Gloucestershire
GAlAG TIL that in 1859, the United States controlled almost 70% of the East African copal ("young amber") trade, with Germany controlling about 25% of the market. Copal was used to create wood varnish for furniture and carriages. The U.S. Civil War (1861– 1865) led to Germany taking control of the market.
oB9GA TIL the saying "an apple a day keeps the doctors away" dates back to 19th Century Wales, and was originally phrased "Eat an apple on going to bed, and you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread."
OoDx7 TIL about the surviving 2nd century Roman novel A True Story written by Lucian of Samosata. It is regarded as one of the first ever works of science fiction ever written and it features explorers flying to the moon, first contact with aliens, an interstellar war and the discovery of a new continent.