› added 10 years ago

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TIL: Loneliness can be just as deadly as smoking cigarettes, it is considered a serious life threatening health condition.

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VMd7Q TIL That The Walt Disney Company owns a 16% stake in Vice Media (VICE News parent company)
YpYRd TIL of Maurice Herzog, the french mountaineer who summited Annapurna 1 first in 1950, the deadliest 8000 meter mountain with a 32% death rate. Not only was this the first 8000 meter peak summited, but also the only 8000 meter peak conquered on its first attempt.
WA6B TIL Steve Crohn was one of the first studied cases of HIV immunity. His Immunity was due to a mutation in the CCR5 delta-5 receptor of CD4-t*cells, this prevented the virus from “entering” the immune cell. He committed suicide at the age of 66 after most of his friends died from the disease.
erQE TIL the Vietnamese once repelled a Mongol naval invasion of ~400 ships by filling a river with iron-tipped spikes and then luring the ships in at high tide. The fleet was trapped at low tide and overwhelmed by a Vietnamese ambush.
pY6Ge TIL that the phrase "running the gauntlet" comes from the Swedish word "gatlopp" and comes from a punishment in which the party judged guilty is forced to run between two rows of soldiers, who strike out and attack them with sticks or other weapons.