› added 3 years ago

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TIL: At the second Tour de France, the first four finishers were disqualified because they took the train

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8wOK TIL that Mel Brooks was nominated for a Kennedy Center Award by President Bush. He refused the award, saying “Well, I’m going to wait for another president, if I’m still alive, if you don’t mind.”
5VLaR TIL that the rarest and most expensive silk in history, is made from mussel threads. Once worn by royalty its production nearly vanished—today, only one woman in Sardinia, Chiara Vigo, still weaves it.
Meb67 TIL this yellow-pigmented male northern cardinal is most likely a genetic mutation that renders the pigments the bird draws from foods making it appear with yellow coloration rather than red. This is called xanthochromism; in addition to cardinals, it has also been seen in rose-breasted grosbeaks.
rNvL0 TIL about gonococcal conjunctivitis, which is an eye infection by the same bacteria that causes gonorrhea. Although other routes are possible, it is typically contracted by direct eye contact with genital secretions and can lead to permanent blindness in days if untreated.
AN8Oo TIL that in the first Paris-Dakar rally in 1978, a French team ran the race with a stock 1926 Renault touring car. The team had to make several major repairs but completed the route, finishing 71st of 150 entries.