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TIL that Paul Cambon, the French ambassador in London from 1898-1920, didn't learn a word of English during his 22 year posting, and insisted during meetings that every utterance be translated into French, including easily recognized words such as ‘yes’.

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Xl5j TIL Scientist John All fell into a 70-foot deep crevasse in Nepal. He broke 15 bones and was bleeding internally but miraculously survived and was able to document his climb out.
0wwVy TIL that 12,000 bears are farmed for their bile in Asia which is used in traditional Chinese medicine and generates $2bn per year. Farming always involves surgery on the bears to insert a catheter or to cut a hole through the abdomen by which the bile leaks. Bear bile has no medicinal effect.
d8VLZ TIL that the deadliest forest fire in history, the Peshtigo Fire of 1871, remains largely forgotten even after destroying over 1.2 million acres and 2,500 lives because on the same day, October 8th, the Great Chicago Fire happened.
xDR1 TIL that spider silk is stronger than bone and half as strong as steel
LQlVZ TIL: "Jumbo" was a male African bush elephant who was an attraction for PT Barnum. He was hit by a train in St. Thomas, Ontario and died. He was not named Jumbo because of his size; we got the word "jumbo" because of his name.