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TIL during World War II, a Soviet pilot named Alexey Maresyev was shot down by Germans and dragged himself for 18 days to Soviet controlled territory. After having his legs amputated, he learned how to fly with prosthetics and returned to combat.

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d80OZ TIL that a deep sea snail known as the Scaly-Foot Gastropod, which was only recently discovered in 2001, has a shell so well constructed that the U.S. military is researching its design, hoping to incorporate its defensive layers to improve military armor.
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