› added 9 years ago

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TIL Shell sold “No Pest Strips” that were highly carcinogenic, even causing one death. They eventually pulled it off the U.S. market and sold it in Mexico so they could still make money. Shell executive: “Speaking as a human being, sure you feel bad. But I’m not being paid to be a human being.”

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OoAw7 TIL that William Clark's slave, York, was instrumental to the Lewis and Clark Expedition not only because of his strength and services to the corps, but because many Native American tribes regarded him as a God due to his black skin and showered him with gifts and praise
Gj4J TIL the T-shirt was invented in 1904 and marketed to bachelors who couldn’t sew or replace buttons
BrWOe TIL Abram Gannibal was a black African-born Russian nobleman in the 18th century. Sold into slavery, he was eventually freed by Peter the Great and adopted into the Emperor's household as his godson. His great-great grandson is the celebrated author and poet Alexander Pushkin.
0wDaA TIL that there have been reports of "Earthquake lights" dating back to 869, where lights are said to appear in the sky near areas of tectonic stress, seismic activity or volcanic eruptions. Although skeptics will point to the lack of confirmed documentation
KOB6R TIL of William Walker, an American lawyer who raised an army of 45 men and managed to conquered Baja California for a short time. He went on to try and conquer Nicaragua three times, once successfully. Later he tried to conquer some islands that were about to be returned to Honduras from Britain.