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TIL Pangolins are the most traficked mammal in the world. Now in a good news Chinese government has removed pangolin scales from a list of approved ingredients in traditional medicine, which could help in bringing end to the large-scale illegal trade.

Read more theguardian.com

via reddit.com

XZpQ TIL of the Skeleton Coast of Namibia, aka “The Gates of Hell”, a place so inhospitable that when the MV Dunedin went aground in 1942, passengers were only rescued after another ship ran aground, a big aircraft was damaged on landing, was repaired and crashed again, and several army trucks were lost.
DGWv TIL: Dr Barry Marshal was convinced that H. pylori bacteria caused stomach ulcers, but no one believed him. Since it was illegal to test his theory on humans, he drank the bacteria himself, developed ulcers within days, treated them with antibiotics and went on to win a Nobel prize
nebDb TIL West Point has a tradition of celebrating the student who came in last in class rank but still graduated, called the Goat. Including having each cadet give the Goat money.
8eLGX TIL for the 1980 presidential election, one of Ronald Reagan's first choices for vice president was former president Gerald Ford
VMyg0 TIL Pablo Picasso worked up until the day he died at age 91; literally painting till 3 am on Sunday, April 8th, which was just hours before his death. His last well known self-portriat was done a little less than a year before his death, entitled Self Portrait Facing Death