› added 5 years ago

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TIL of the Lake Taal snake, a species of marine snake that evolved to adapt to a freshwater environment. It is found in a single Phillipine lake that was cut off from the sea less than 500 years ago. This means that the snake evolved into a new species in just a few centuries.

k9vW TIL that Jimmy McMillan, the guy from the “Rent Is Too Damn High” meme, is a karate expert, and Vietnam War veteran, as well as a former postal worker, stripper, and private investigator.
R54V8 TIL That while Kmart in the US is all but dead, with only 1 traditional store remaining, Kmart Australia is wildly popular with nearly 300 locations.
XoW6 TIL the US is the only country in the world that does not have the numerical value on the face of its coins, nor have their bill denominations in different sizes, making it difficult to identify currency for foreigners and blind people.
vPXeB TIL of Helen, a Macaque monkey who was instrumental in the study of a condition in humans known as blindsight. Helen's primary visual cortex was removed, effectively blinding her. However, she blinked at motions that threatened her eyes and could navigate through environments as if she could see.
4XWGb TIL about Maximilian I, the younger brother of Franz- Josef, the only Hapsburg monarch of Mexico. During the Franco-Mexican war, Napoleon III gave Maximilian a huge chunk of Mexico in 1864 and Maximilian made a lot of liberal reforms at the time. He was executed 3 years later.