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195

TIL about the existence of Platybelodons, a prehistoric elephant with the mouth of platypus

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Lk6od TIL that the term Banana republic was invented by the author O. Henry when he lived in Honduras, and described a politically unstable country dependent upon the exportation of limited-resource product.
R54P4 TIL in 2010, the executive director of the Washington State Potato Commission ate nothing but potatoes for two months. He lost 21 pounds, his cholesterol went down 67 points, his blood sugar lowered and the blood chemistry—the iron, the calcium, the protein—either stayed the same or got better.
E1wYV TIL FDR was almost killed by a US warship in WWII. During a secret trans-Atlantic trip, he asked for ship demos. One accidentally fired a torpedo at FDR's ship (which moved fast enough to avoid the hit). Afterward, the destroyer was routinely greeted with the hail "Don't shoot! We're Republicans!"
wGZ7 TIL Final Fantasy XI caused Illinois to pass a law requiring that MMO’s let you cancel your subscription online.
vPlQj TIL of the Batavia, a Dutch East India Company ship that wreaked off the west coast of Australia in 1629. A war between the survivors broke out, as a merchant onboard led a plot to murder and enslave the others and found a personal kingdom.