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TIL to cure constipation on their expedition, Lewis & Clark were given packs of "thunderclappers": laxatives made of 60% mercury. Archaeologists can track the route of the expedition by following mercury deposits.

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nevw7 TIL about Ivan; a silverback gorilla who was kept for over 27 yrs in a small, cement cage for public display in a mall in Tacoma, Wa.
baQZ TIL that the Letters of last resort are written by the UK PM and tell what to do in the event of a nuclear strike. The letters are sent to four submarines that will open the letters if they don’t receive a UK naval broadcast for four hours straight, assuming that a nuclear strike had occurred.
rQmW TIL the average high school kid today has the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the early 1950’s
VBVom TIL that women tend to bruise more easily because their skin has more fat and less collagen. Collagen supports blood vessels, making them less prone to breaking. Men's thicker collagen layer provides better protection for their blood vessels.
KO50R TIL From 1896 to 1964 Canada jailed thousands of women without trial if they were suspected of "undesirable social behavior." Such as having premarital sex or being in interracial relationships. The women were sent to reform prisons, where they were beaten and drugged to learn subservience.