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TIL the United States Geological Survey (USGS) uses the term "Gage" instead of "Gauge" because one employee in 1892 reasoned that the term "Gage" was the "proper Saxon spelling," instead of the Norman "Gauge"

Read more usgs.gov

via reddit.com

ne4r TIL when a king dies in Tonga, the royal undertakers are not allowed to use their hands for 100 days afterwards. They are hand-fed in captivity, which is a step up from the older practice of having their hands chopped off.
MeZ90 TIL that California is named after a fictitious island described in a series of 16th century Spanish romance novels. The island was described as being inhabited by beautiful black women who wore gold armor and fought alongside Muslims
omeK TIL that there is a galaxy being deathray-ed by its own supermassive black hole.
LYnp TIL of the only real Space Gun; the TP-82, a Russian triple barreled, break action shotgun/rifle/machete combo for fighting and hunting wildlife after a Cosmonaut touches down in Siberia.
6ErNJ TIL of Stoneman's disease, an extremely rare genetic condition where the body replaces damaged tissue with bone.