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TIL of the red flag act enacted in the late 19th century where every vehicle had to be led by a person on foot carrying a red flag to warn bystanders of the vehicle’s approach

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499b TIL that an acre of hemp produces more paper than an acre of trees.
W5No TIL that the latin name for the american Plains Bison is “Bison bison bison”
woXJE TIL Psycho (1960) is the first U.S. film to feature a toilet flushing. At the time, it was considered inappropriate to show a toilet being flushed on screen. Alfred Hitchcock saw an opportunity to add some extra shock to his already shocking film
E7pw TIL in 1770 a man invented a machine that could play a strong game of chess against a human opponent. The “android” that played the game was nicknamed The Turk (as was the machine itself). It wasn’t until 1857 that it was revealed to be a hoax (a chess master was hiding in the machine).
NXPa1 TIL not only does water only block 20% of UV rays with 3 feet of depth, but also the water surface reflects UV rays so being around water increases UV exposure