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TIL that in 1816, known as the "Year Without a Summer", global temperatures dropped due to the eruption of Mount Tambora, causing crop failures and famine across the Northern Hemisphere.

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ne7eW TIL that Colorado has more ghost towns than active municipalities
X05Ar TIL that in 2005, a Ph.D. student at the University of British Columbia nominated a fire hydrant to run for the Board of Governors (and even acted as its "translator"). The hydrant pulled in 900 votes, missing a seat by six ballots.
E1E4w TIL Teddy Roosevelt regularly staged boxing matches in the White House, taking on anyone he could - including professional boxers. He only stopped boxing when his eyesight was permanently damaged by a punch from his military aide, Col. Daniel T. Moore.
oBJko TIL that playing Taps at military funerals started with a Union soldier’s funeral held too close to the enemy to risk a traditional gun salute giving away their position. They played Taps to give a quieter salute. It was also named Taps because the bugle melody was often followed by three drum taps.
7rdDL TIL Sony Ericsson went from having a net income of over 1.1 billion euros in 2007 to losing about 0.8 billion euros in 2009.