› added 6 years ago

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TIL that in 1958, Bank of America mass mailed 60,000 unsolicited credit cards, with a credit line of $500, to residents of Fresno, California. They chose Fresno so that if the plan failed, it wouldn’t get much media coverage. The program was wildly successful and marked the birth of Visa.

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WkV6X TIL 50 Cent challenged Floyd Mayweather to read one full page of a 'Harry Potter' book out loud without starting and stopping or messing up. If Floyd Mayweather accomplished this, 50 Cent agreed to donate $750,000 to a charity of Mayweather’s choice. Floyd Mayweather ultimately declined the offer.
1re8 TIL in 1968, two boys playing in a deserted and rat-infested tenement found the body of a 31yo drug addict, surrounded by religious pamphlets and empty beer bottles. Not until 19 months later was the body identified as that of child actor Bobby Driscoll, Academy Award winner and voice of Peter Pan
5xbB TIL When nonpregnant people are asked if they would have a termination if their fetus tested positive for down syndrome 23–33% said yes. When women who screened positive are asked, 89–97% say yes
EgeJp Today I learned that when you see someone else in pain—whether they stub their toe, cry, or even just look sad—your brain lights up in the same areas as if you were experiencing that pain yourself. This incredible phenomenon is due to something called "Mirror Neurons".
6E4QW TIL Some Whale's Milk is so Full of Fat that it has the Consistency of Toothpaste