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TIL: Before electricity, theatrical groups would heat up calcium oxide, also known as quicklime, for stage lighting. This is where the expression “in the limelight” originates from. People use to literally be in the limelight.

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5V0wR TIL Cow tipping, the purported activity of sneaking up on any unsuspecting or sleeping upright cow and pushing it over for entertainment, is generally considered an urban legend. Estimates suggest that at least four people would be required to achieve this.
7bKb TIL that Greek “Zeus” and Latin “Jupiter” stem from the same Proto-Indo-European word for “Sky Father” (Dyeus ph2tēr), from the root verb “to shine” (dyeu)
16PW TIL that Tim Duncan wanted to swim in the olympics and only decided to play basketball after the only swimming pool on his island was destroyed by a hurricane.
0d1Mj TIL ostriches, the fastest and largest extant bipedal terrestrial animal, can run for 30 minutes at 50 km/h (31.1 mph) and can also move at a speed of 70 km/h (43.5 mph) for short sprints. Interestingly, unlike other birds, ostriches have only two toes on each foot.
l7JgA TIL SGT. Robert Hughes was known as the "Gentle Giant" while serving as a Force Recon Marine during Vietnam. Hughes had at least 2 confirmed underwater kills utilizing the KABAR knife and ripping out an enemy diver's throat after spitting out his regulator.