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TIL that availability of potatoes played an important role in spurring economic growth in the 18th & 19th centuries. The introduction of the potato explains the 25–26% of the increase in old world population and 27–34% of the increase in urbanization between 1700 - 1900.

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nW97B TIL the first digital computer, ENIAC, was programmed by six women in the 1940s. Fran Bilas, Betty Jennings, Ruth Lichterman, Kay McNulty, Betty Snyder, and Marlyn Wescoff's contributions were overlooked for decades. Their pioneering work laid the foundation for modern computing.
ANA8w TIL that West Point's class of 1915 is referred to as "the class the stars fell on", due to the fact that 59 of its graduates would later become general officers. These included two eventual five-star generals: Dwight D. Eisenhower, later also 34th President of the United States, and Omar Bradley
J1Aok TIL Dr. Ozel Clifford Brazil helped 18,000 students get to college over a 15-year period by fudging the information on students' applications. He was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for financial aid fraud & ordered to pay nearly $750,000 in restitution. Although, he never rolled over on anyone.
69P5Z TIL The "Burly Brawl" fight sequence in The Matrix Reloaded cost $40 million
LZLp TIL there is a type of ice that only forms on rotting wood, and is created thanks to a fungus. It is called hair ice, and resembles white, silky hair.