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TIL consonants and vowels are defined by the sound they make when voiced, not the letters themselves. For example, the letter U is a vowel in ‘undergrad’ and a consonant in ‘university.’ The letter W is a consonant in ‘whisky’ and vowel(ish) in ‘saw.’

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vPlM7 TIL in 1863, Union General Joseph Hooker significantly boosted troop morale. He issued soft bread 4 times a week, fresh onions or potatoes twice a week, and dried vegetables once a week. He also improved sanitation, requiring bedding to be aired and soldiers to bathe twice a week.
nenjr TIL when shooting the cover for Pink Floyd's "Animals", the giant inflatable pig that was used for it broke loose from its moorings. It flew over Heathrow, and pilots spotted it flying 30,000 feet in the air, resulting in cancelled flights. It eventually landed at a farm in Kent, scaring some cows.
kOZLe TIL in the 1990s, a Russian mafia and Italian mafia organization participated in a literal money-laundering scheme, washing and bleaching the ink out of US$1 bills and reprinting them as $100s, for use in the post-Soviet bloc countries, where the bills might avoid detection as counterfeits.
16raO TIL about the Jumping Frenchmen of Maine, who exhibited a rare disorder which entails an exaggerated startle reflex described as an uncontrollable "jump". Studies recorded individuals who would obey any command given suddenly, even if it meant striking a loved one.
0dZLp TIL The Kremlin had such a hard time with computer security that in 2013 they bought typewriters to prevent leaks.