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TIL that tribes in the Amazon are using technology like GPS and Google Earth to map their lands, monitor for illegal logging and mining, and maintain ties to their history and cultural traditions including knowledge of medicinal plants

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gM6k4 TIL Both George Lucas and Don McLean were fans of Weird Al Yankovic's "The Saga Begins" (a Star Wars parody of "American Pie"). McLean said that the parody's lyrics sometimes enter his mind during live performances and a Lucasfilm representative said "You should have seen the smile on Lucas's face."
e9WD TIL that Georgi Dimitrov, accused of conspiring to burn the Reichstag German in 1933, successfully defended himself in trial, including grilling Hermann Göring on the stand
9Y9yr TIL Some of the important decisions in WW2 could not be made because Hitler was sleeping (and he liked to sleep uptill noon). On D-Day invasion, the german officers couldn't get further command from Hitler, because of strict orders not to wake him up for any reason.
Mg7m TIL That despite early concerns, the Human Genome Project finished 2 years ahead of schedule and $400 million under budget.
gvny TIL in 1987, a prison inmate broke a glass partition and knocked out the lights in a visitation area to have sex with a woman who was visiting him. Fellow inmates cheered him on while barricading the doors. He claimed it was an accident.