› added 7 years ago

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TIL that Merck gifted a drug to the WHO that would cure River Blindess in third world countries with no expectation of being paid for it. They said they would “distribute as much as needed for as long as needed” and continue that promise today.

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NXXAQ TIL Rio's iconic "Christ the Redeemer" is not the only giant statue of Jesus. Several enormous statues exist around the world, including the sci-fi "Heart of Jesus" in Romania, the submerged "Christ of the Abyss" in Italy, and the tallest one at 33 meters, "Christ the King" in Poland.
NAO1 TIL the first credit card, issued in 1949 and made out of cardboard, was Diners Club. Co-founder Frank McNamara was dining with clients and realized he forgot his wallet. His wife paid the tab, and McNamara thought of a multipurpose charge card as a way to avoid similar embarrassments in the future.
yQ5ne TIL when the band Judas Priest appeared on The Simpsons, they were mistakenly defined as “death metal”. The producers decided to apologize for the mistake by having Bart Simpson write “Judas Priest is not ‘Death Metal’” in the opening sequence chalkboard gag.
ve5R TIL Yu Pengnian gave up his entire $1B+ fortune to charity. When some said it was “unnatural” for him to leave none for his family, he replied, “If my children are competent, they don’t need my money. If they’re not, leaving them a lot of money is only doing them harm.”
0XaM TIL that carnivorous animals will not eat other animals that have been struck by lightning