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497

TIL that the name "Big Ben" refers to the bell itself, not the entire clock tower.

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ke5B TIL that more than a hundred American and German sailors died in a naval confrontation in the Samoas in 1889, despite neither side firing a shot. The captains on both sides refused to show ‘weakness’ by taking steps to prepare for an oncoming hurricane.
d8p57 TIL Locusts are not a type of animal, it is a condition experienced by some grasshoppers. Many grasshoppers become locusts when they are overcrowded (triggered by legs and arms rubbing together). Once they transform, they grow larger and change colour.
BgEke TIL about the "Scaptia beyonceae", an Australian horsefly named after Beyoncé
Y70WW TIL Sumo wrestlers throw salt before a match to purify and sanitize the ring, how they throw is up to them.
gM9M9 TIL that the anechoic chambers are the quietest places on Earth and have background noises measured in negative decibels. After a few minutes in chambers, you can hear your heartbeat and blood circulating in your ears and could experience troubles with orienting or even standing.