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TIL the record fastest voyage from Hong Kong to New York by sailing ship was set at 74 days in 1849, and remained unbroken for 154 years. The record was beaten in 2003 by two days.

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GY5Rj TIL There is an annual Olympiad for high school Chemistry. It began in 1968 in Prague, and had 3 countries participate. It now includes 75 countries, each sending one student team of 4. There is a practical exam, followed by a written exam. Both can be up to 5 hours in length.
jNpwv TIL Thomas Jefferson had observed unseasonably mild temperatures in Philadelphia on July 4th, 1776.
Wk09B TIL only 10% of the World’s population lives in the Southern Hemisphere....
j64GN TIL Aristotle founded the Peripatetic school of philosophy in 335 BCE and many of the free lectures were open to the general public. He liked to walk around while holding discussions with students and it had no set curriculum or even fees for membership
8a1x8 TIL the monkey face orchid, or scientifically, the Dracula simia, is a rare orchid which is native to the tropical cloud forests of Southeastern Ecuador and Peru and likes to live in elevations above 2,000 feet. Its fragrance can described as a ripe orange scent which it emits when it blooms.