› added 13 years ago

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TIL that Otto von Bismarck challenged a rival politician to a duel, but backed out after learning that his opponent choose to fight with two pork sausages, one infected with roundworm.

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M7Mva TIL During the 50's and 60's, Dr. Chester M. Southam injected patients and prisoners with cancer cells (HeLa cells) for research without their consent. He was reported and suspended for a year despite a cover up attempt. He later became President of the American Association for Cancer Research.
xV04k Passenger jets and cruise ships normally gather key weather data. But full docks and empty skies make it hard to predict the details of incoming storms.
oB9RY TIL that Dr. Martin Luther King jr was allowed to attend Morehouse college at the age of 15 due to a classroom shortage of students brought on by world war II. He was still required to pass the college entrance exams which he did at only 15 years old.
K5jJ TIL President Andrew Jackson had to leave for a hotel when roughly 20,000 citizens celebrated his inauguration inside the White House. His aides ultimately had to lure the mob outside with washtubs filled with a potent cocktail of orange juice and whiskey.
MeAoK Today I learned that in the US all men between the ages of 18 and 25, must register for selective service (Formely the draft), failing to so may result in fines up to $250k, and up to 5 years of prison (felony), and may have impact on future rights, voting, grants etc. It has never applied to Women.