› added 5 months ago

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TIL that the words "sniping" and "sniper" originated from a hard-to-catch bird called a snipe

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m5ax TIL a soldier who fired his gun in celebration in NYC got sentanced to 4 - 12 Years For Manslaughter after turning himself in after the stray bullet killed a mother in Queens.
76p7 TIL that in 2012 the NYPD committed a man to a mental hospital when he claimed to be a Navy SEAL after being arrested for running a red light and weapons possession. It was soon confirmed that he was in fact an active duty Navy SEAL, and he was released with all charges against him deferred.
YdyA TIL Horace Wells, man who pioneered the use of laughing gas in dentistry, became so deranged after experimenting with chloroform that he poured sulfuric acid on 2 prostitutes. He committed suicide shortly after realizing what he had done.
Bg1Ar TIL that in 2004, Reason Magazine sent out 40,000 print magazines to their subscribers with each one of the covers displaying a satellite photo of the subscriber’s house. The feature article was about how databases can be utilized on a mass scale with automation.
8xKG TIL that by making it legal for auto manufacturers to sell cars directly to consumers instead of going through franchised car dealerships, the average consumer would save $2,225 per car purchase.