› added 7 years ago

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TIL no recordings existed of Alexander Graham Bell’s voice until a wax on cardboard disc was discovered in 2013. In it we hear Bell say in a Scottish-tinged accent “Hear my voice… . Alexander. . Graham. . Bell”

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AJVo TIL that when basking sharks decay their carcasses take on the appearance of plesiosaurs (ancient aquatic reptiles) including a long neck and tiny head. There have been numerous “plesiosaur” discoveries which turned out to be decayed sharks.
NDJ1 TIL: President George Washington was a lieutenant colonel in the British Army. He was unsuccessful in obtaining a royal commission but received a decree granting the British militia the same executive powers as commissioned officers. He is the only U.S President to have served the Crown.
Bbwb TIL White-nose syndrome is a disease that severely threatens the U.S. bat population and has killed more than 5.7 million bats
p8dQZ TIL The apple tree that inspired Sir Isaac Newton’s theory of gravity is still alive and producing fruit.
mxGJy TIL the “S” in Ulysses S. Grant stands for nothing. It was a clerical error made while enrolling in West Point. Fearing he’d be expelled, instead of correcting them he changed his name.