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TIL almost all of the vanilla produced in today’s world is pollinated by hand utilizing a technique developed by an enslaved boy back in 1841.

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oByko TIL the panda ant (Euspinolia militaris), so-called because of its black and white alternating coloration, is actually a species of wasp found in the forests of Chile and Argentina. They are known to deliver a very painful sting when they attack. Females are wingless and males have wings.
GAwkJ TIL that Earth tilted 31.5 inches due to massive groundwater pumping.
LQgpm TIL The tallest dam on earth, the Usoi Dam, is not man-made. The dam is a landslide from the 1911 Sarez earthquake that blocked the Murghab River in Tajikistan. In 2015 the dam survived a 7.2 magnitude earthquake with no signs of deterioration.
8eAp8 TIL in 1955, a unmanned plane took off from a small aerodrome near Sydney and flew for over 2 hours over the city. Two squadrons of Air Force planes were failed to shoot it down, including one with a guy hanging out of the cockpit with a Bren gun. It was finally shot down by a third RAAF squadron.
8e98K TIL that in 2003, a senior driver caused a devastating car crash in Santa Monica, CA. The 86-year-old accidentally rammed through a crowded farmers' market, killing 10 and injuring 70. The city lost at least $21 million settling resulting lawsuits.