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PY6ew TIL that from 1948, until 1963, all young men in Britain between the ages of 18, and 30 had to serve two years (later four) national service in the military.
OoK54 TIL Charles McCarthy decided to take his own life rather than fall into enemy hands. The Ashanti promptly removed his head and took it in triumph back to their capital at Kumasi. It was made into a gold-rimmed drinking cup for the use of their king.
PYmXZ TIL that survival expert Bear Grylls, a Special Forces Reservist from 1994 to 1997, was very lucky to survive a parachute malfunction while training with the SAS in Africa. His parachute split at 1,600 feet. He fell and landed, fracturing three vertebrae. Incredibly, his spinal cord stayed intact.