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TIL in the early 19th century, railroads were often built with iron straps, which had a tendency to come loose and impale passengers through the floor of railroad cars. They were known as "snake heads".

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pYVb TIL than Ayn Rand was very pro-abortion. “An embryo has no rights. Rights do not pertain to a potential, only to an actual being. A child cannot acquire any rights until it is born. The living take precedence over the not-yet-living (or the unborn).”
X07o6 TIL: That a bear’s closest relative is a seal.
XEPvE TIL The name of mid-90s fad, "Pogs" was actually an acronym for Passion/Orange/Guava, which was the type of juice that kids used the caps of when it was first invented in Hawaii
GMM7 TIL avocados contain more fat than any other fruit or vegetable. Also, the trees contain enzymes that prevent the fruit from ever ripening on the tree, allowing farmers to use the trees as storage devices for up to 7 months after they reach full maturity, allowing avocados to always be in season.
GY10j TIL the Mayans revered bees so much that they had funerals for them.