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TIL that after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, the prime minister of Portugal sent a query to parishes around the country in order to objectively understand what happened. He is now regarded as a forerunner of modern seismological scientists.

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gad7 TIL that Dr. Armand Trousseau, who first identified the link between blood clots and cancer [called Trousseau Syndrome], died of cancer soon after finding a blood clot in his leg; thus, self-diagnosing, suffering and succumbing to the very disease he discovered and named after himself.
Me9jW TIL of Mark Hoffmann, a notorious forger, noted for creating historical records pertaining to the Latter Day Saints (Mormonism). As his forgeries contained details that contradicted official teachings, church officials often purchased them to prevent their release.
Oo8PY TIL that the low-hanging bar on the back of semi trailers is called a “Mansfield Bar.” It was mandated after a gruesome accident took the life of actress Jayne Mansfield.
WkOad TIL As Beethoven's deafness began to affect his ability to compose properly, he sawed the legs off of his piano and used the floor as a "sounding board." He would lie on his wooden floor and hit different piano notes at various volumes to feel their vibrations to see if they fit into his composition
Lk99Z TIL that in mid-18th century France, eating potatoes was considered cruel and unusual punishment: potatoes were thought of as feed for livestock, and they were believed to cause leprosy in humans. The fear was so widespread that the French passed a law banning them in 1748.