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TIL in the civil war, generals would deliberatley expose themselves to enemy fire to show off their courage and to lead by example. Union general Kearny rode right next to confederate lines, saying "The Rebel bullet that can kill me has not yet been molded". Shortly after he was shot and killed.

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4krKJ TIL a farmer’s observation of his cows made his town a hot touristic spot for the rich and famous of 1600s England. He noticed that cows wouldn’t drink from a particular pond. The water was bitter. Also, it had medical properties. Epsom Salts were born and Epsom town became a popular spa destination
awjpZ TIL of catastrophism, a 19th century geological school of thought which saw the large fossil record as evidence proving the existence of a world previous to ours, destroyed by sudden natural catastrophes such as great floods and the rapid formation of major mountain chains.
Wdk8 TIL Bill Paxton and Lance Henriksen share the distinction of being the only actors to have been killed by an Alien, a Predator and a Terminator.
588Q TIL researchers have found that people are more likely to engage in sexual and aggressive behaviors when drunk in societies where it’s commonly believed that alcohol intoxication leads to those behaviors; this phenomenon is known as the ‘think-drink effect’.
d8mrB TIL that ravens and wolves have formed a mutually beneficial relationship out in the wild. Ravens have been observed calling wolves to the site of dead animals so that the wolves will then open up the carcass and leave the scraps for the ravens once they're finished.