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TIL Early in his naval career, Horatio Nelson nearly died while fighting a polar bear. Wanting the bear’s pelt as a gift for his father, Nelson’s gun misfired and he attacked the bear with the butt of his rifle. He was only saved when his ship fired a cannon that scared the bear and it ran off.

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6EBVW TIL halting sneezing via blocking the nostrils and mouth is a dangerous manoeuvre. It may lead to numerous complications, such as pneudomediastinum (air trapped in the chest between both lungs), perforation of the tympanic membrane (perforated eardrum), and even rupture of a cerebral aneurysm.
WvaL TIL The astronauts aboard Skylab 4 went on “strike” for a day because they felt overwhelmed by the demands of Mission Control. The used the time to look out the window and think.
a815Z TIL the world’s first motor race was held on 22 July 1894, organised by Le Petit Journal. 21 steam and petrol cars drove 126 km from Paris to Rouen. The fastest car (steam) finished in 6h48m at 19 km/h, but the prize went to a Peugeot petrol vehicle judged best on safety, economy, and ease of use.
QNkVX TIL If you heat the diamond in the open air, it will begin to melt and burn at around 700 degrees Celsius (1,292 degrees Fahrenheit). Burning a diamond without oxygen, however, will make it change into graphite (a crystalline form of carbon) before transforming into a fluid.
nYyb TIL Glenn Howerton from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia was born in Japan, and grew up in London and South Korea