› added 1 year ago

56

TIL To ensure the survival of a small group of U.S. servicemen stationed on Alaska's remote St. Matthew Island during World War II, the Coast Guard released 29 reindeer to the island. After the war the reindeer population exploded to more than 600 by 1963. By 1964 they were all gone.

Read more hakaimagazine.com

via reddit.com

M71gV TIL the world's oldest terrarium / sealed bottle ecosystem has been thriving since 1960. The 10-gallon bottle is like a mini Earth. It has only been opened once in 53 years to add a bit more water (in 1972). Otherwise it has been sealed without fresh water or air.
D1N4D TIL actor Brandon Lee, Bruce Lee's eldest son who, while filming The Crow, was accidentaly shot and killed by a co-star with a prop gun that had a dummy round tip lodged inside the barrel. After a year of re-shoots the movie was released and met critical acclaim and is now considered a cult classic.
W7Bd TIL Mother Teresa actually believed that the poor was meant to be poor, the sick intended to be sick and used all donations to open up unwanted covenants. Then when sick herself, went to the best medical centers. (3 part series)
d8bE TIL the quietest room in the world registers -9 decibels (yes, negative decibels)
awPXM TIL that the Alfred, formally known as the Black Prince, became the first vessel to fly the Grand Union Flag; the precursor to the Stars and Stripes that we know today. The flag was hoisted on the Delaware River by John Paul Jones and this event was documented in letters to Congress