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TIL that in 1961, Alan Shepard was waiting for liftoff to become the first American in space, a reporter asked him what he was thinking about. He replied “The fact that every part of this ship was built by the low bidder.”

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BrBQr TIL of the Third Plague Pandemic- an outbreak of bubonic plague that killed 15 million people between 1855-1960. In Hong Kong, where the bacterium responsible was identified (Y. pestis), the plague recurred every year for 30 years.
EgEgp TIL the Liberty class cargo ship was mass produced by the United States to help win WWII. Made with antiquated, but easily manufactured technology they were built in record time. Of the 2710 ships made, only my 4 remain. Three are museums, while the fourth is a land locked canning facility.
EL5P TIL that in the midst of a three-year killing spree, over which he is believed to have murdered up to 130 people, serial killer Rodney Alcala was featured a contestant on The Dating Game, and was picked by the bachelorette. She never followed up on the date because she found him “creepy”.
Y7OjB TIL associating Republicans with red and Democrats with blue wasn't widespread until 2000. Before then, presidential maps most commonly showed the opposite, which was changed to disassociate the Democratic Party from socialism.
eDek TIL That this fruit is the world’s shiniest living thing