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TIL originally, porcelain shipped from China to Europe was packed in tea to prevent breakages. By the late 18th century the demand for tea had grown so dramatically that instead, porcelain was shipped with tea to act as ballast

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R7e54 TIL John A. Macdonald, from Upper Canada, and George-Etienne Cartier, from Lower-Canada, served as co-prime ministers of the Province of Canada. The Ottawa MacDonald Cartier International Airport features statues of the founders at a bench near the luggage pickup
Rmna TIL automatic (switchblade, etc.) knives are illegal to own in Michigan, except for one-armed people.
5Gg9 TIL Helium is a non-renewable resource, the US used to stockpile it, and we may run out eventually
8epNK TIL The first person clinically diagnosed with Autism is still alive. Donald Grey Triplett who is 89 years old.
negZG TIL that falconers (and trainers of other birds of prey) will sew the eyelids of a wild caught bird shut, slowly allowing them to reopen to imprint themselves. The reopening process takes anywhere from a week to 40 days depending on the bird’s nature and the skill of the trainer