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TIL Christopher Columbus was stuck in Jamaica with angry natives refusing to give him food. Knowing that a lunar eclipse was going to happen, Columbus told the natives that his gods were angry for refusing him food. After the eclipse, the scared natives gave him lots of food and begged for mercy.

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yVoae TIL The Australian Parliament can't legally operate without a ceremonial mace, representing the monarch's authority, being present. In 1914 a member of parliament hid the mace and it was not found for two hours, and police were called in as it was assumed to have been stolen.
KOjpQ TIL American Airlines circumvented the manufacturer's instructions to save 200 man-hours, doing so they caused the US' worst airline disaster in history. Their procedure was damaging the pylon mounts without anyone knowing it. The manufacturer had warned American Airlines against their procedure.
OKP1 TIL of the Law of Urination: all mammals, regardless of size, take the same time to pee - about 20 seconds.
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8djZ TIL cyanide had no effect on Rasputin in the first murder attempt because cyanide sprinkled over cakes converted to harmless ammonia