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5

TIL that during the building of the Panama Canal, the United States led one of the largest and most challenging engineering projects ever undertaken, overcoming extreme climate and health challenges to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

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5YrKP TIL the original founding population of Native Americans was about 250 people. At their peak, there were about 18 million in North America and 40 million from Alaska to Argentina. It’s estimated that the population dropped by almost 90% within a few centuries after the arrival of the Europeans.
XEP8k TIL There's a kind of beetle named after Stephen Colbert. Colbert had previously asked scientists to name something "cooler than a spider" after him. The scientist that discovered the beetle then named it after Colbert, because "beetles are way cooler than a spider any day".
VRmQ TIL In the fall-out with Don King, Mike Tyson discovered a fan-club that had been hidden from him for years. Among the fan letters was one from a boy dying of cancer, asking for a phone call. Mike called immediately, but was a year too late. He broke down and cried.
v1ddj TIL that the late professional wrestler Bam Bam Bigelow received second degree burns over 40% of his body while rescuing 3 children from a burning house and spent 10 days recovering in a hospital.
5Yo5n TIL in early 1984 Chrysler was about to introduce the Newport. However, after the dealers have taken first orders for those cars, Chrysler decided to cancel the new model and sell it as the Dodge Diplomat SE instead.