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TIL that in 1902, the French, concerned with the large number of rats in Hanoi, instituted a bounty, which would be proven by showing the rat’s tail. People soon began breeding rats for their tails without killing them, causing a bubonic plague.

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6DRJ TIL Scientists have recently discovered repeating radio signals coming from a mysterious source well beyond the Milky Way. While one-off fast radio bursts (FRBs) have been detected in the past, this is the first time multiple signals have been detected coming from the same place in space.
ANkMn TIL that in 2005 Paul Janssen the developer of fentanyl was voted the second greatest Belgian of all time. (Father Damien the leper priest was first)
9YbwB TIL In the 1980s American Airlines sold tickets for unlimited travel (priced around 250000 dollar). One passenger, over a period of 10+ years, traveled more than 10 million miles, accumulated over 40 million frequent flier miles (all of which he gave away), and cost the airline more than $21 million
BgJMe TIL that since sunfishes are susceptible to skin parasites, they sometimes break the surface of the water with its dorsal fin and beak to attract the attention of a gull or similar seabird. The seabird will then dig worms and other stubborn parasites out of the fish's skin.
wLyZW TIL that when Henry Ford doubled the pay of his auto workers from $2.50 per day to $5, he didn't do it for altruistic reasons. His factory had one of the highest turnover rates (due to danger of the assembly line and tedium of the work). After the raises, it dropped to the lowest.