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TIL that in 1924, a tunnel network was discovered underneath Washington D.C. Speculation behind the network's origins included a Confederate hideout or a liquor depot for bootleggers; they were actually dug by the Smithsonian Institute's entomologist Harrison G. Dyar, who 'did it for exercise'.

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MP5m TIL that a snail spent years glued to a card in the British museum before they realized it was alive
newNb TIL Abraham Lincoln's interest in law starts at the bottom of a barrel. Lincoln was running a store when he bought a barrel full of rubbish from a traveler. Upon emptying the barrel Lincoln found a complete set of 'Blackstone's Commentaries' which he spent more time reading than manning the store.
QnjM TIL The video for Gangnam Style has had over 2.3 billion views breaking the YouTube view counter and forcing them to update their site code.
9nQQ TIL Russian historians divide empires into “sea” and “land” types: Sea powers tend to be capricious, high tech and mercantile, and land powers tend to be serious, militaristic and large. Examples of this dichotomy include Athens vs. Sparta, Britain Vs. France, Carthage vs Rome, and the US vs. USSR
VMMQ8 TIL of Sarah Jones, a camera assistant who was struck and killed by a train while working on the film Midnight Rider. Director Randal Miller was charged with criminal trespass and involuntary manslaughter and became the first director to go to jail as a result of a death on set.