› added 1 week ago

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TIL that James Abercrombie, a Texas oil driller, invented the first reliable blowout preventer in 1926. It allowed drillers to control pressure and stop deadly oil well explosions, saving lives and changing the oil industry forever.

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via reddit.com

698lw TIL that Thomas Paine became a deputy in the French parliament and voted against executing King Louis XVI
pGMb TIL that there are more slaves today than ever before in history, despite it being illegal everywhere.
QJn9X TIL that William Burroughs’ book “Naked Lunch” was written while high. (And banned under US obscenity laws)
WkNoA TIL about George McJunkin: Born a slave, became a cowboy after the Civil War, and as an amateur archaeologist discovered one of the oldest sites of ancient human civilization in North America
0d7dL TIL that, despite media portrayals to the contrary, young adults tend to make highly rational decisions when it comes to selecting potential romantic partners