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TIL: The first battle of the Civil War took place on Wilmer McLean’s farm. He moved to get away from the violence, but 4 years later Lee would surrender to Grant in his new house. His quote: “The war began in my front yard and ended in my front parlor.”

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oBQjK TIL that Cracker Jack became the longest running product placement in American history thanks to the song “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”
Wo7N TIL Lance Von Allmen developed an oil containment system that uses chemically treated cellulose to perfectly absorb crude oil in water, and then wring the cellulose to get all of the crude oil back. He died a year after this aired. WHY wasn’t this used to clean up Deepwater Horizon?
8aK0b TIL Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut came from Mars. The Mars company that is. She replied to a radio advertisement in 1989 to get the space fairing job.
AX6x TIL that strontium, a chemical relative of calcium, can be given to increase bone density, fractures, and promote bone regrowth, essentially acting as calcium in the bones better than calcium itself does
GAkpQ TIL in the 1800’s bananas were seen as “immoral fruit” because of their shape. Fruit companies began issuing postcards of women eating bananas to advertise the fruit wasn’t taboo.