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TIL that 19th century commercial whaling was made possible by the Giant Tortoises. Stacked helplessly on their backs, they could be kept alive without food or water for 6 months and eaten whenever. Giant tortoises also contained gallons of perfectly drinkable water kept it in a special bladder.

e0Yrk TIL despite earning millions as an actor, Mickey Rooney declared bankruptcy several times, having gambled away his fortune. Towards the end of his life, he entrusted his finances to his stepson, who funneled Rooney's earnings to pay for his own lavish lifestyle. He died with an estate of $18,000.
4xQo TIL Nigerian scammers once sold a fake airport to a major international bank for $242 million, and the scam wasn’t discovered until 3 years after the fact.
Y7JoA TIL that in 1626, Peter Minuit is credited with purchasing Manhattan Island from Native Americans for just 60 Dutch guilders, equivalent to $1,143 in today’s US dollars
wLppJ TIL FARC got tricked into giving up their most high profile hostage and 14 others. The Colombian army made up a NGO which would transfer captives by helicopter. Once aboard the chopper, the soldiers revealed the ruse and arrested the militants, freeing all hostages. Not a single shot was fired.
ADJ5B TIL a 3,000-acre wilderness wolf sanctuary in Frazier Park, CA helps heal military veterans who have treatment-resistent PTSD. Vets are paired with hurt, abandoned and exploited captive wolves/wolf-dog hybrids to tend to daily.