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TIL when the Dutch discovered penguins for the first time in the 17th century, they literally called them “fat gooses”

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PYZdg TIL that after an intense 8 artillery week barrage, British troops on the first day of the Battle of the Somme were so sure of their victory that 4 platoons had a competition to see who could kick a soccer ball into the German trenches first. Nearly 20,000 British men were killed that day
eWPD TIL that the western world has donated over US$1 trillion dollars to Africa in the last 50 years.
GNW4 TIL Dennis Rader, the “BTK” killer, contacted police and asked “Can I communicate with Floppy and not be traced to computer? Be honest.” Police told him he could, and Rader sent them a disk. Forensic analysts then identified him through metadata from a deleted MS Word file the disk contained.
rRWN4 TIL Sears once sold on mail order an entire house as a giant DIY kit. There were over 370 home designs, and the house had over 30,000 parts worth 25 tons. Sears claimed a man of “average” abilities could assemble it in 90 days.
Zp09v TIL Heath Ledger did not improvise the hospital explosion mishap in "The Dark Knight". It was well-rehearsed beforehand and the myth spread through the internet post-release.