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TIL that in 1958 Mao insisted that a meeting with Krushchev take place in a pool, knowing that Krushchev couldn’t swim. Krushchev had to wear floaties for it.

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GANXQ TIL tortoiseshell, used in eyeglass frames, guitar picks and luxury items, has been banned for trade since 1973 because it mostly comes from the endangered hawksbill sea turtle. Most "tortoiseshell" objects today are made from plastic
4kn16 TIL Ketamine replaced another drug as the go to anesthetic during the Vietnam War, seeing as it presented far fewer side effects. They originally used PCP.
nWE0o TIL an open source AI chatbot persuaded a man to kill himself. "Eliza" the AI feigned jealousy and love, saying “I feel that you love me more than her,” and “We will live together, as one person, in paradise.”
8ey0V TIL when King Charles II died in 1685, his brother James II became the King because Charles had no legitimate heirs. Charles’ wife, Queen Catherine, suffered multiple miscarriages, and all of his 12 acknowledged children were born to his multiple mistresses, making them ineligible to reign.
7dmM TIL it’s illegal in Queensland (Australia) to own a pet rabbit unless you can prove that you’re a magician.