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TIL there used to be so many oysters in the Chesapeake Bay that they piled up almost to the water's surface, causing navigational hazards. Then we harvested them by the millions, and now the population is down by 99.7%. It's one of "the largest documented declines of a marine species"

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xXA5 TIL Sir John Smith, who founded Jamestown, was knighted by a prince of Transylvania, for beheading three Turkish commanders in 3 separate duels. He later captured as a slave, and given by a Turkish nobleman to his mistress, the woman subsequently fell in love with Smith and He escaped 2 years later.
Rv9l TIL Polish composer André Tchaikowsky donated his skull to the Royal Shakespeare Company in hopes that it would be used as a prop for the skull of Yorick. In 2008, the skull was used in a series of performances of Hamlet at the Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon.
9YQeD TIL When Shigeru Miyamoto was a child, he didn't have any toys or TV so he would spend his time roaming the countryside unsupervised. One day, he found a deep dark hole. He grabbed a lantern and discovered a miniature cave system. This experience formed the spiritual basis of The Legend of Zelda
8aMv8 TIL that in 2006 a secret speech by the Hungarian Prime Minister was leaked in which he admitted that they lied all the time during their term and didn't do anything useful. It provoked nationwide protests including a siege of the Hungarian Television building.
78DwZ TIL Peter Pan was originally a 6 year old sociopath with a knack for killing.