› added 10 years ago

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TIL DuPont has been poisoning the town of Parkersburg, WV for over 30 years and has been covering it up.

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b9w14 TIL That during the 17th and 18th centuries that for queens and couturiers alike, showing your breasts was a fashion statement, whereas showing your ankles or knees was considered faux pas.
oRpWr TIL: Einar Thambarskelfir was known for his skills as an archer and his weight. His translates to "wobbly belly" or "belly of the bow". He became de facto leader of Norway until he was assassinated by Harald Sigurdsson under the false pretense of a meeting. His wife then raised an army in revenge.
VRNZ TIL that British scientist James Smithson donated his entire fortune to the United States (worth 1/66th of the entire US budget) to create the Smithsonian Institution despite never having visited the United States. He left no explanation of his motivation.
6jP7 TIL for every person alive today, only 15 people have died through all of human history.
xdn5 TIL William Shockley, father of silicon valley, was a proponent of eugenics. He proposed that individuals with IQs below 100 be paid to undergo voluntary sterilization.