› added 7 years ago

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TIL while working at a railway, Richard Sears' station received a shipment of gold watches but the jeweler refused the shipment. Sears got the watches at a reduced rate (a common scam) and sold them to his coworkers who needed to keep accurate time. The success lead to his first mail-order catalog.

QJ7Na TIL the Wood Frog can go eight months without peeing. While it hibernates, it uses the urea (the main waste in urine) to protect their cells and tissues, even as the critters heart, brain and bloodstream stop.
Dkej TIL 2 Virginia Firefighters were suspended after transporting an 18-month-old girl to a hospital in their fire engine, a policy breach that ultimately saved the girl’s life.
p1xG TIL the Bible contains a passage where it says it became dark in daytime during the crucifixion of Jesus. It was discovered a total eclipse did actually occur in Jerusalem on 24 November 29 CE at around 11AM. This fact got dismissed by the Church because the date is not in accordance with Easter.
9YKJQ TIL that "A Fistful of Dollars", the first of the Man with no Name trilogy, was an unlicensed remake of Akira Kurasawa's film "Yojimbo". Kurasawa filed a lawsuit, then settled with Sergio Leone out of court with 15% of international receipts and over $100,000.
yVL6e TIL That children who live with unrelated males most commonly their moms' boyfriends or husbands, are almost 50 times more likely to die violently then kids who live with both their biological parents.