› added 8 years ago

54

TIL that between 120 and 140 men, women and children were killed on September 11, 1857, in Utah, when Mormons attacked and slaughtered a wagon train with the help of local Indians - the bodies were stripped of belongings by Mormons and sold off at local auctions for profit

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

PYZdg TIL that after an intense 8 artillery week barrage, British troops on the first day of the Battle of the Somme were so sure of their victory that 4 platoons had a competition to see who could kick a soccer ball into the German trenches first. Nearly 20,000 British men were killed that day
gMogD TIL in 1996, a Canadian man fled Canada and thought someone was out to kill him, took his money and drove to Knoxville, TN. He ended up dead in a parking lot with his money around his half-naked body. Police reports show the man was killed by a blow to the stomach. The case remains unsolved.
9YPDm TIL that the African elephant has the longest gestational period out of all mammals, with an average pregnancy lasting almost 2 years.
W7yPd TIL, that in 2014 the U.S. for-profit company Pearson took control of the high school GED afterwards, there was a 90 percent drop-off in pass rates.
X96X TIL that the only Americans with their own personal zip code are the President and Smokey Bear.