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TIL Sophie, a pet Australian cattle dog, fell from a boat in choppy waters off the coast of Queensland and swam 5 nautical miles to St. Bees Island. She lived off the land for 5 months until she was captured by rangers who believed she was a wild dog and subsequently reunited with her family.

rNRYe TIL Counterfeit detector pens used in grocery stores contain an iodine solution that reacts with the starch in wood-based paper to create a black stain. When the solution is applied to the fiber-based paper used in real bills, no discoloration occurs.
E1kMX TIL Until the late 19th century, most men in Japan wore pocketless kimonos, which offered no place to keep belongings. Netsuke (small carved statues, working as anchors)(meaning “to attach the root”) allowed them to securely fasten hanging pouches (sagemono) and boxes (inro) to a kimono sash (obi).
W7xwd TIL F. Scott Fitzgerald's full name is Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald. He was named after his distant relative Francis Scott Key, who wrote the words to "The Star-Spangled Banner."
ew94 TIL that incompetent people don’t know they’re incompetent and completely overestimate their abilities, while truly competent people are filled with doubts and often underestimate their own abilities - it’s called the Dunning Kruger effect.
W68o TIL When the French Navy ceased using Morse code on January 31, 1997, the final message transmitted was “Calling all. This is our last cry before our eternal silence.”