› added 8 years ago

146

TIL that one nonprofit has gotten over 8,000 communities to end Female Genital Mutilation in West Africa.

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ZNBB TIL that deep-sea fiber optic cables are now buried under the seabed, because the electricity running through them used to attract sharks who would bite into them - electrocuting the shark and destroying the cable
kwwW TIL U.S. Presidents and science Nobel Laureates were found to be overwhelmingly first-borns, as were 21 of the first 23 NASA astronauts
Lkd5v TIL that in 1979, Brenda Spencer shot up an elementary school, killing two and wounding nine other people. When asked why she did it, she replied, "I don't like Mondays..." inspiring the song by the Boomtown Rats song.
Z8moD TIL In 1992, shipping containers with around 28,000 rubber ducks were lost in the Pacific Ocean. Ducks are still being found today.
x6MLB TIL that early bowling alleys would leave lanes ungreased and scuff the edges of bowling balls, in hopes of creating impressive sparks. This practice was discontinued after a 1929 fire at a Chicago alley that killed three people.