› added 11 years ago

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TIL that after needing 13 liters of blood for a surgery at the age of 13, a man named James Harrison pledged to donate blood once he turned 18. It was discovered that his blood contained a rare antigen which cured Rhesus disease. He has donated blood a record 1,000 times and saved 2,000,000 lives.

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5YWXD TIL of the Giant Impact hypothesis, where a Mars-sized planet, Theia, is theorized to have collided with Earth 4.5 billion years ago. The debris from both planets eventually coalesced to form the Moon.
v1Y6x If the task requires creativity or mental rotation, music can increase performance.
PY6Je TIL there is no medical basis for preventing someone with a concussion from falling asleep. In fact, rest is beneficial to the healing process
k9rE TIL that in 1937, a gas leak in the basement at the local school in New London, Texas caused a massive explosion which killed almost 300 children and teachers, the deadliest school disaster in US history. Adolf Hitler even sent his condolences by telegram.
16DJV TIL During negotiations for the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty, Michael Collins complained to Winston Churchill about the British putting a price on his head. Churchill defused the situation by joking that he also once had a reward offered for his capture during the Boer War after he escaped a POW camp.