› added 1 year ago

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TIL that ambergris (whale poop) has been used in perfumes for centuries including today's popular Chanel No. 5

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Xv06 TIL Isaac Asimov was a long-time member and vice president of Mensa International, albeit reluctantly; he described some members of that organization as “brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs”.
vAnr TIL Jack the Signalman was a baboon who was employed by the railroad in South Africa in the late 1800’s as a signalman. Jack never made a mistake in his 9 years of employment.
N7v51 TIL "revenge is a dish best served cold" refers to the passing of time and not the coldness of one's heart during the act of revenge.
Oo4DX TIL that Bill Gates' mother, Mary, knew John Opel, CEO of IBM, because both served on the national United Way committee. At Mary's request, Opel set up a meeting with Bill Gates, CEO of then-small software firm Microsoft, to discuss the possibility of using PC-DOS for IBM's about-to-be-released PC.
VM47B TIL until 2018, being fed with only bread and water was an available punishment in the US Navy for enlisted personal