› added 13 years ago

136

TIL in 1911 two kids (11 & 7 years) rode horseback alone from NY to SF in 62 days.

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epxo4 TIL Mountain Dew was originally created as a moonshine mixer. The soda received its name for the slang used for "mountain-brewed" moonshine: Mountain Dew
rNLoo TIL: There exists a protein called "Sonic hedgehog SHH". Mutations in this gene can cause a condition known as "holoprosencephaly", a failure of splitting the two cerebral hemispheres, among other things.
16RVr TIL After water, concrete is the most widely used substance on Earth. If the cement industry were a country, it would be the third largest carbon dioxide emitter in the world with up to 2.8bn tonnes, surpassed only by China and the US. [2018 numbers]
BgwQb TIL that on average, 1,300 trains derail every year in the US, with a peak of 9,400 derailments in 1978.
LJw9 TIL of a man who lost his vision and hearing in an accident. After 9 years, he had his senses restored after being struck by lightning while chasing his pet chicken during a storm.