› added 9 years ago

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TIL two mines detonated on the first day of the Battle of the Somme were apparently so loud that the blasts were heard in London, nearly 200 miles away.

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xVyAB TIL there is an inn in Japan that has been in continuous operation since 718 -- over 1300 years & 46 generations -- and it's not even the Guinness Work Record holder for oldest inn.
GoMQ TIL that Marc Lang holds the record for simultaneous blindfold chess. He played 46 matches at once, winning 19, drawing 13, and losing 3.
QNdMa TIL that baby kittens and puppies can’t urinate and defecate on their own
rN7Oo TIL that in September 1903, a school opened in Philadelphia that used the phonograph to teach parrots how to speak English, French or German. The school's founder, Mrs. Jacob Hope, launched the school with a record that repeated the phrase "Polly wants a cracker" 1000 times.
gr7VA TIL a musical road was built to honor R. Lee Ermey, the "Gunny" known for Full Metal Jacket. Special grooves play "The Marines' Hymn" when driven over.