› added 9 years ago

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TIL that American tennis player, Vitas Gerulaitis, after losing to Jimmy Connors in 16 consecutive matches and then winning in 17th, commented: “And let that be a lesson to you all. Nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row!”

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4XAy5 TIL Szechuan peppers make your lips/tongue numb, not hot. Its not the capsaicin (found in pepper that interacts with heat receptors so we perceive spicy). Instead, its hydroxy-alpha-sanshool interacting with tactile receptors (thus your brain perceives vibrating / electrocution style sensation).
Oo8PY TIL that the low-hanging bar on the back of semi trailers is called a “Mansfield Bar.” It was mandated after a gruesome accident took the life of actress Jayne Mansfield.
j4jE TIL Lysol was originally marketed it as a contraceptive. It was corrosive to sperm, but also damaged tissue inside the woman. Hundreds of people died from Lysol exposure
xV8yk TIL in Arthurian legend, the Questing Beast was a creature with the head of a serpent, body of a leopard, haunches of a lion, and feet of a deer. It may have inspired by third-hand descriptions of giraffes from merchants
lBKG TIL a civilian jet airliner was shot down by a United States Navy guided missile cruiser USS Vincennes on 3 July 1988 and killed 290 people including 66 children and 16 crew members.