› added 9 years ago

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TIL: the original Fido was a 1940s Italian street dog who became famous for his loyalty to his dead master, who died in a bombing. Fido waited 14 years at the bus station for him. The name means “faithful” in ancient Latin.

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d8eO9 TIL that the Somali Pirates had their own stock exchange. Local were encouraged to invest in one of 72 'Maritime Companies', giving weapons, money, or even boats. If the crew that got the weapons successfully attacked a ship and made money, the investor would get a portion of the loot.
KYg46 TIL that chickens can and have killed
yQRXM TIL A woodpeckers tongue is 1/3 of its body length, and they wrap it around the back of their skull to protect their brain when pecking.
J1J64 TIL that elephants use a unique inner ear structure, and behavioral adaptations, to feel and respond to vibrations through the earth from other elephants kilometers away (called seismics).
LkRVd TIL that a case decided in California in 1974 cited the Magna Carta (1215) in it's opinion. The Supreme Court of California used the document to interpreted a requirement in common law that a defendant faced with incarceration be entitled to a trial overseen by a legally trained judge.