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TIL on January 15, 1919, in Boston a large molasses storage tank burst, and a wave of molasses rushed through the streets at an estimated 35 mph (56 km/h), killing 21 and injuring 150. The event has entered local folklore. Residents claimed that on hot summer days, the area still smells of molasses.

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Gej4 TIL The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum displayed Wonder Woman’s Invisible Jet for one day only: April 1, 2015
7G0O TIL: In a circus, “The Stars and Stripes Forever” would be played by the circus band to alert performers to distress and emergencies.
9w7Z7 TIL After the US Navy lost the USS Thresher in 1963, it instituted a quality assurance program called SUBSAFE for its submarines. As a result they went from losing 16 submarines to non-combat reasons in the 48 years before, to losing only the USS Scorpion (which wasn’t SUBSAFE certified) since 1963.
mxPRE TIL the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago had 193 murders in 1 year and only has a population of 26,000
04G5 TIL the final design for Chewbacca was based on an illustration for a 1975 novelette by George R.R. Martin