› added 9 months ago

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TIL that the U.S. Merchant Marines had the highest casualty rate of any U.S. service branch in WWII. Even so, survivors were denied veterans benefits until 1988.

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via reddit.com

X04EQ TIL: Grapefruits were invented in 1693. A man named Captain Shaddock shipped some pomelo seeds to the West Indies, he planted seeds next to some orange trees. After some cross pollination, the grapefruit was born.
pYxE8 TIL that Whirlpool dryers are scandalous in the UK as some can catch on fire but the company refused to recall them. Instead, owners were advised to watch the dryers to respond quickly if they caught on fire or were offered £99 compensation.
X0kyQ TIL about “One Night Cough Syrup” was sold in the late 1800s, and it contained alcohol, cannabis, chloroform, and morphine. This mixture was available over the counter and promised to eliminate your cough in one night so you could sleep.
APdw TIL of the Oh-My-God particle, a subatomic particle detected to be traveling at 99.99999999999999999999951% the speed of light, carrying the same energy as a 60 mph baseball
VBEAB TIL Imanita Parrish Shelley, a Titanic Survivor who presented an affidavit with everything she could complain about while on board, including the way in which she was put into safety during the sinking.