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TIL of Captain Thomas Cochrane, who became captain of a post-ship a mere 7 years after his commission as a midshipman. He later was depicted in the naval fiction series of fame, Horatio Hornblower as a pivotal character.

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G7k4 TIL There is a mythical animal from Asia called The Bonnacon that has curled horns and when startled sprays acidic dung
wgyP TIL your hearing doesn’t “turn off” in your sleep, your brain just tunes out or “ignores” any incoming sounds.
pkoO TIL of Radithor, a health drink in the 1920s that contained radium and slowly killed its customers. But it didn’t cause a public health crisis because it could only be afforded by rich people (unlike cheaper, safer knockoffs)
Pm9g TIL the pickled ginger served with most sushi is meant to cleanse your palate between different pieces and can be offensive to the chef if used as a topping.
LkEQP TIL scoring on bread loaves was originally so families could find their loaves after baking in community ovens