› added 2 years ago

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TIL that The closest living relative of hippopotamuses are whales

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7r4YZ TIL The Roland 808 drum machine was commercial and critical flop because it didn't produce a realistic drum sound. However, its 'unusual' synthetic beats and effects made it a cult favourite among EDM and hip-hop artists, which eventually turned the 808 into the icon it is today.
gMoQD TIL that Michigan has a bottle deposit of 10 cents, instead of the usual 5 cents. Their recycle rate is 97%, compared to 70% of states with bottle deposits, compared to 33% for states without any deposit laws.
GAd5j TIL the 1955 Le Mans disaster is the deadliest event in motorsport history. The multi-vehicle collision killed at least 82 people in Sarthe, France.
OGgEa TIL the Shar Pei is an ancient dog breed, but its wrinkles are new. In 1978, Guinness named it the rarest dog breed —only 60 in existence! The publicity made demand skyrocket... so breeders mixed in other breeds, resulting in the huge wrinkles. <100 of the original still exist.
OoKo1 TIL that in Chinese/Peking Opera, a character wearing armor with flags on his/her back was meant to represent a general leading an army. Two such characters fighting on stage meant that a battle between two armies was taking place.