› added 7 years ago

191

TIL approximately once every 18 months (on average) a total solar eclipse is visible from some place on the Earth’s surface

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XYDX TIL that a 73-year-old woman bought a painting from a thrift store for $5 only to later discover that, thanks to a fingerprint on the canvas, it was actually an unsigned Jackson Pollock worth millions of dollars.
MeRnb TIL that "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" is not a quote from some ancient philosopher or legal code. It is a quote from the 1982 Star Trek film The Wrath of Khan.
OGnB6 TIL in the 1930 elections, Republicans won a majority in the US House of Representatives by 2 seats. But before Congress convened, 14 Representatives-elect died. Democrats then won several subsequent special elections, and took control of the chamber.
45w5 TIL Winfield Scott served in the War of 1812, and the Civil War. Roughly equivalent to someone serving in both WWI and Vietnam.
NXyWQ TIL harbor porpoises hunt small fish (3-10 cm) almost continuously day and night to meet their energy needs, catching up to 550 per hour with a prey capture success rate of over 90%.