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TIL the "Redwood of the East" - a 100ft-tall tree that once covered 25% of Eastern US forests, produced tons of food, and built America's industrial backbone - lost 99.9% of its population to a catastrophic blight.

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7PkL TIL that loneliness can make you sicker, mentally and physically, than someone who is not lonely
0wR8p TIL after noticing all of the attention the US women’s gymnastics team was getting, the US men’s gymnastics team suggested they compete shirtless to attract more viewers
9Brm TIL that Greek Fire, fire that was almost impossible to put out and generally used to attack ships, was created in the 7th century but its recipe has been lost to history and we still aren’t completely sure what it was made of.
dD5lQ TIL the pilot episode of Star Trek Voyager was one of the most expensive television episodes ever produced, costing $23 million
R7Ep7 TIL while making Moana, Disney producers visited the South Pacific and assembled an "Oceanic Story Trust" comprised of local cultural experts to advise on accuracy of details. Maui was originally bald but he was redrawn with a full head of hair as hair symbolized mana (power) in Polynesian culture.