› added 7 years ago

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TIL in 1870, the corrupt leader of NYC’s city Hall, Boss Tweed offered the New York Times the equivalent of $100 million to not publish their expose on his political corruption.

7rVvx TIL of gutter oil - cooking oil which has been illegally recycled from waste oil collected from sources such as restaurant fryers, grease traps, slaughterhouse waste and sewage from sewer drains. It is estimated 10% of low end restaurants in China use it
D14PY TIL that Milton Hershey kept his employees working during the Great Depression by having them construct buildings in Hershey, PA including a school, arena and hotel. When a steam shovel was brought in for construction, Hershey told his foreman to get rid of the shovel and hire 40 men instead.
OGMd6 TIL that Margaret Ann Neve was the first recorded female supercentenarian and the second validated human to reach the age of 110. She was also the first proven individual whose life spanned three centuries, having been born in 1792 and died in 1903.
0wpdM TIL in the 1940s the musicians of America went on strike against major recording companies. Eventually, the major labels ran out of back catalogue to release and settled with the musicians, but the years without royalties effectively ended the big band era.
4XP0X TIL that mosquitoes perform musical duets before mating.Male mosquitos "buzz" at between 550-650 Hertz while females buzz at about 350-450 Hz. When female mosquitos fly close to male mosquitos, they harmonize their wing flapping as a signifier of good health and fitness.If they can't,no copulation.