› added 1 year ago

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TIL that the inventor of the Atkins diet, Dr. Atkins, did not die from a heart disease but in fact died from complications following a head injury on April 17, 2003, after falling on a New York sidewalk.

Read more ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

via reddit.com

KYAQQ TIL Gypsies, aka Romani, are descendants of a nomadic tribe originating from the Punjab region of India, travelling across Europe around the 8th century. They retained many aspects of their nomadic lifestyle. The name "Gypsy" comes from the fact that people mistakenly thought they came out of Egypt.
VA1Q TIL that during the 19th century, spiral staircases were installed in firehouse’s to keep the horses from climbing up into the living quarters. These staircases slowed down response time, which led to a new invention: the fireman’s pole.
loQMr TIL: The US has had the largest economy in the world since 1871. Accounting for just 5% of the worlds population, the US represents 23.6% of the worlds GDP, China has grown to 15.5% and third place Japan at 5.7%
ADnWd TIL, Febreze, initially marketed as a way to get rid of unpleasant smells, sold poorly until P&G realised that people become accustomed to smells in their own homes, and stop noticing them even when they are overpowering (like the smell of several cats in a single household)
WkDB9 TIL dragonflies spend several years as aquatic nymphs (one to four years), while the winged adult stage last any where from a few days to a few weeks, with six months being the exception for some species.