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TIL that in the late 1920s, Henry Ford tried to build a town called Fordlandia in the Brazilian jungle for the purpose of supplying tire rubber. Designed to be inhabited by 10,000 people, the project totally failed from poor management, disease, worker unrest, and other factors.

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47ro TIL that during the American Civil War, 14-year-old William Horsfall enlisted into the Union army as a drummer boy. While in battle, he ran into the battlefield amongst gunfire to save his captain, who had been shot. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery.
0JEv TIL That the pilot episode of The Lone Gunmen, an X-Files spin off, featured a government conspiracy to stage a terrorist hijacking of a 747 and fly it into the world Trade Center. The episode aired in March of 2001.
kJ00E TIL that the south hemisphere receives ~7% more solar energy due to orbital perihelion (closest position to the sun) happening in 3 january
M7Nr7 TIL that Pacific Islanders were forced to come to Australia to be slaves on sugar plantations in a practice known as "blackbirding"
OoeX6 TIL of the frog known as the “Hairy Frog”, “Horror Frog”, or the “Wolverine Frog” that is so aggressive it will literally break its own bones, force them through the skin, then use them as claws to attack; even humans.