› added 1 year ago

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TIL that 46% of the world population has an indo-european language as first language.

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Wkon4 TIL That pure bred dogs are vastly more likely to have a genetic disorder than mixed breeds.
0dyjN TIL that Antoine-Augustin Parmentier popularised potatoes in France by hosting dinners for influencers, getting royal endorsements, and planting guarded fields near Paris. At night, guards left so people would steal them, making potatoes seem valuable. This led to their widespread acceptance.
Nal6 TIL of Bertha Benz, wife of the inventor of the first modern automobile, who made the first ever long-distance drive to market the invention. Along the way, she used her garter to repair the ignition and invented the first pair of brake pads. The 66mi trip took her the entire day.
5VARn TIL when Brazilian football/soccer player Pelé died last December, he was survived by his 100-year-old mother, Celeste, who, given her advanced age, did not understand her son's death. Pelé's sister Maria Lucia do Nascimento described their mother as "in her own little world."
P5Vg TIL in 1940, 2 Australian air force planes collided and locked together midair during a training exercise yet pilot L. Fuller landed the entangled planes after traveling 5 miles, after all other crews ejected. Fuller was commemorated & promoted, but died in 1944 when his bicycle collided with a bus.