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TIL The Bald eagle was only officially declared the US national bird in December 2024 after nearly 250 years

7xYx TIL Pee Wee Herman’s father was one of 5 founding pilots of the Israeli Air Force in Israel’s War of Independence. It is widely believed that he with the other four volunteer pilots changed the course of the War of Independence thus establishing Israel.
Y7Wv7 TIL that the 2007 movie "The Golden Compass" was originally longer and more faithful to the book, but was brutally recut by the studio in post production - which resulted in the true ending completely removed and the order of the plot rearranged
1LND TIL the city of Minneapolis has more than 11 miles of “skyway” connecting nearly every building in the downtown area. This includes apartment buildings and even a college, so that some residents never have to leave the system of interconnected structures in the course of their day-to-day lives.
m1PkE TIL during the 1920 trial of Elmer Fisher for the illegal ownership of alcohol, the jury took 1 of the bottles submitted as evidence when they went to deliberate to make sure that it was whiskey. After some time passed, the jury asked for a 2nd bottle. A short time later, it found Fisher not guilty.
b9AbZ TIL that sea urchins are devastating the US West Coast's vital kelp forests. Since 2014, their population has increased by 10,000%, and in Northern California, over 90% of the giant bull kelp forests have been destroyed. The "urchin barrens" that are left are killing off important fisheries.