› added 3 years ago

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TIL of China's Old Summer Palace, a complex of palaces 8x the size of the Vatican. Deemed the pinnacle of Chinese gardens, it also contains exquisite artworks and many historical treasures. In 1860, the British sacked and looted the Palace for 3 days, turning it into its current state of ruination.

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OMLe TIL a 59-year-old unemployed man robbed a bank for $1 so he could get free healthcare in jail
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Ww8B TIL that Swissair Flight 111, which crashed off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada in 1998, was carrying half-a-billion dollars worth of diamonds and other jewels in the cargo hold. 98% of the aircraft was recovered, but the jewels are still missing.
kJ5rE TIL of Dr. Jessie Lazear, an American physician who studied yellow fever under the famous Dr. Walter Reed. He allowed himself to be bitten by an infected mosquito, and died of the disease himself 17 days later, confirming how the disease was spread. His sacrifice saved millions.
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