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449

TiL that the brain literally eats itself when it doesn't receive enough sleep

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lWRK TIL that sliced bread was only invented in 1928 and was referred to as the best thing since bagged bread.
R7Lja TIL about Mandate of Heaven, theory in China, according to which the ruler must have the support of Heaven to rule. Moral rulers who care for their people gain the mandate. If a despot sits on the throne, the Heavens can withdraw it, which they signal through e.g. eclipses, floods, wars, plagues etc
R5aLw TIL that the 1927 General Election in Liberia had a turnout of 1660%. The winner secured 240,000 votes, when the country had less than 15,000 eligible voters.
1RlO TIL After Ben Franklin lost his 4 year old son to Smallpox, he became an advocate for Inoculation, and stated in his autobiography: “I long regretted bitterly, and still regret that I had not given it to him by inoculation.“
4kpGb TIL: St. Louis was the 4th largest city in 1910 (8th largest as recently as 1950, and now 70th), Buffalo was the 10th largest (now 78th). Cleveland was the 6th largest in 1940 (now 54th), Detroit was the 4th largest (7th largest as recently as 1990, and now 27th).