› added 8 years ago

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TIL that 2 people in Greenland died of botulism after eating poorly prepared Kiviak, a delicacy in which a seal is stuffed full of birds then left to ferment. The family of the first victim - not knowing that the meal caused his death - served it at his funeral, leading to the death of his daughter.

R7nw1 TIL In 2000 The Guinness Book of World Records cited Michael Jackson as the most philanthropic pop star in history. He gave over $300 million dollars to charity in his life, and visited hospitals and orphanages at every stop of his tours handing out gifts and making donations.
rRQBy TIL; The U.S. government eventually disbursed more than $1.6 billion in reparations to 82,219 Japanese Americans who had been interned and their heirs the government actions that were based on "race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership."
yVbLa TIL that Able Archer 83 was a war exercise conducted by NATO that panicked the Soviets into thinking they were really being attacked and so nearly launched a nuclear retaliation in response; it is now considered to be the nearest that mankind went into nuclear war since the Cuban Missile Crisis
ava0 TIL During the Prohibition Act, the government poisoned industrial alcohol in order to scare off bootleggers. As a result, around 10,000 people died until the Prohibition was repealed.
4LKo TIL that Norwegian oil company Statoil is selling one of their oil platforms. “Well kept 20 bedroom platform for sale. Panorama sea view and plenty of room for a helicopter.”