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TIL Enlightenment era philosopher Francis Bacon died from pneumonia he got while stuffing a dead chicken full of snow. He had wanted to test if meat is preserved if frozen.

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8nga TIL that the ‘Big Mac Index’ is an economic tool published annually by The Economist to measure the purchasing power parity between two currencies. It compares the cost of Big Macs world-wide to determine whether currencies are over-valued or under-valued.
rR50x TIL A Japanese rail company has apologised after a train left a station 25 seconds early. The operator said, "the great inconvenience we placed upon our customers was truly inexcusable".
9GvD TIL children who learn a musical instrument begin to hear and process sounds that they couldn’t otherwise hear. This helps them develop “neurophysiological distinction” between certain sounds that can aid in literacy.
eEBD TIL Criss Angel celebrated his 46th birthday by donating $100,000 to charity, visiting a children’s hospital to do magic, and then threw a Christmas Party for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
lo54V TIL that the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress was first flown in 1952. There are still 58 in active service and the B52 is expected to remain in service into the 2050s.