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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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wlnM TIL: President Andrew Jackson was involved in as many as 100 duels. He was shot in the chest in 1806 and took a bullet in the arm in a bar fight with Missouri Sen. Thomas Hart Benton in 1813. Most were to defend his wife’s honor.
8ebYV TIL Mary Ann Hall’s House on Penn. Ave. in Washington, D.C., was the premier brothel during the Civil War. Known for its cleanliness, fine dining, elegant furnishings, and discretion, it offered patrons a place to drink wine, socialize, and enjoy the company of well-dressed—and undressed—women.
9eXr TIL that President Lyndon B. Johnson once said, “If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.”
0dkYN TIL that a 2009 study found that the majority of friendships only last about seven years. Although the number of friends a person has in their social circle remains fairly stable, turnover is high. Roughly 70% of a person's friend group will change after seven years.
yZM TIL There is an island in the South Pacific that is entirely uninhabited. 47.23 km² (18.24 sq mi) Pagan island.