› added 8 years ago

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TIL that from 1902-1907, a group of 12 scientists regularly ate dangerous, common food additives that had previously been untested, such as formaldehyde, and documented how they reacted to said additives. They were known as “The Poison Squad,” and helped spur the creation of the FDA.

p8eJb TIL the training for the original The Matrix movie was so intense Hugo Weaving (Smith) needed hip surgery and Keanu Reeves (Neo) suffered a two-level fusion of his cervical spine which had begun to cause paralysis in his legs, requiring him to undergo neck surgery.
BrEWb TIL When Teddy Roosevelt led the Rough Riders up San Juan Hill, the gun he carried was a .38 Colt revolver salvaged from the wreck of the USS Maine. The USS Maine exploded outside Havana in early 1898 and the pistol was given to him by his brother-in-law.
J16n1 TIL that Steven Spielberg is an accomplished Eagle Scout and started filming by taking his dads movie camera on scout trips. At age 17, he wrote and directed his first independent film called Firelight that would later inspire Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
NXJVE TIL that 2009-13 Mazdas had dashboards that would melt and turn into a sticky glue like substance when used in places with notably hot summers.
dDWwd TIL that despite the fact that 75% of the world's tornadoes happen in the US, the deadliest Tornadoes happen in Bangladesh. Of the 43 recorded Tornadoes with at least 100 people killed, 20 of them happened in what is now Bangladesh, compared to 15 in the US.