› added 9 months ago

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TIL that an Australian man who lived by a cliff prevented at least 180 suicides in his 45 years of living there, by striking up a conversation with people contemplating suicide and inviting them to his house for tea.

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1beO TIL baseball catcher Dave Bresnahan threw a potato to deceive a baserunner into being tagged by the ball. The league banned him but fan-support forced the club to retire his number. At his retirement ceremony he said “Gehrig played 2130 games & hit 340; all I had to do was bat .140 & throw a potato”
GYDO4 TIL about Sunflower syndrome. A condition that compels those who suffer from it to turn toward bright light and wave one hand, fingers spread, in front of their eyes. It’s usually the same hand every time.
k415 TIL a Portuguese soldier in WW1 defeated, single handedly, two German assaults by laying down intense fire, leaving hundreds of Germans dead and allowing the retreat of hundreds of allied soldiers in safety. A few months after, he did the same again.
dDWBd TIL that in 2022, Belle Isle Park in Detroit had to temporary close their giant slide due to people going down the slide at excessive speeds. Before closing, video of children going up and down the bumps on the slide and slamming back down were captured and posted on social media that scared some.
b9yXa TIL that the community of Puʻuwai, Hawaii and the entire island it is located on, is off limits to anyone except residents and official visitors. Tourists are not allowed.