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TIL during WW1, Germany used cow intestines to make Zeppelin airships, and made so many that it became illegal to make sausages, as it diverted cow intestines from the war effort. 250,000 cows were needed for each zeppelin!

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e0Y86 TIL the Pledge of Allegiance was created as part of a marketing campaign to sells flags to public schools.
8aLGa TIL during Operation Desert Storm in Kuwait, 1991: a french Jaguars unit made a low-pass raid over Al-Jabr in the middle of Iraqi stronghold anti-aircraft fire, one pilot took a bullet on his head, 2 others were hit with reactor on fire, and all came back safe to the base.
xV9PB TIL that Purgatory in the Divine Comedy (1320) is a mountain situated on the opposite end of the world to Jerusalem, and Dante and Virgil reach it by going to the centre of the Earth (via Hell) and up the other side. This is because the Medieval world, and hence Dante, knew the Earth was a sphere.
J874 TIL the mantis shrimp strikes a blow at the speed of a bullet, which also produces cavitation bubbles (similar to boiling) in the water. The prey is thus struck twice - once by the blow itself, and a second time when the bubbles collapse. The blow is powerful enough to break aquarium glass as well.
Pebn TIL that South Korea is the world leader in.. suicides. Currently there is an average of 31.7 suicides per 100,000 people. Only .1 more than Lithuania’s 31.6 suicide rate which is the second highest.