› added 12 years ago

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TIL that there is a mutated gene possessed by about half of the population that prevents a person from tasting the bitter-tasting chemical used to grow brusselsprouts. If a person does not possess this gene they can taste the chemical, thus making them much more likely to dislike brusselsprouts.

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mxgjE TIL the most fertile woman in history, a Mrs. Vassilyev, gave birth to 69 children
xaMb TIL that in 1861, a small hamlet in Western NY voted to cecede and join the Confederates, sending 5 soldiers to fight. They didn’t officially rejoin the Union until 1946.
W74vL Today I learned that Joey, the spin-off of the Friends sitcom, was canceled halfway through its second season, and the final eight episodes were never aired in the U.S. by NBC.
ywAw TIL of Shirley Babashoff, American Olympic swimmer who acquired the nickname ‘Surly Shirley’ for her constant accusations that E German athletes were doping. Turns out she was right.
ORwa TIL of Death Valley Unified School District, which covers 6000sq miles but serves only 60 students, making both one of the largest and smallest districts in the USA. It is also the only district with a school inside a national park.