› added 5 years ago

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TIL that when William Jennens known as the "richest commoner in England" died in 1798, his estate became the subject of a legal dispute that lasted for well over a century until the entire estate had been swallowed by lawyers' fees.

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J1WwV TIL that during the Battle of Tarawa, due to a miscalculation of the high tide, the landing craft carrying US Marines became stuck on coral reefs, which surround Tarawa, roughly 700 yards from the shore. So they had to wade through the chest deep, shark infested waters while dodging Japanese fire.
wL51 TIL Isaac Newton was like Dirty Harry in 17th century London - chasing counterfeiters of the Royal Mint, bribing crooks for info, threatening criminals and their famlies, eventually focusing on his nemesis. And then he burned all his notes to cover his dirty ways of catching crooks.
9wVaQ TIL Canada's Territorial Waters are larger than its Exclusive Economic Zone. The former extend only 12 Nautical miles(NM) from the shore, but also include inland marine waters such as Hudson Bay, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, and the internal waters of the Arctic Archipelago. The latter to 200NM
wLMpM TIL that the cornerstone of the US Atomic Energy Commission headquarters contains a time capsule. Inside the capsule are (among other items) scraps of linen from the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were authenticated by carbon-dating & included as evidence of atomic science's non-violent benefits to society
QYgL TIL two different men disappeared in Naples, Florida one year apart. Both were last seen being arrested by the same officer. Neither of them were officially ‘booked’ as the officer told investigators he dropped them both off at gas stations. Their bodies have never been found.