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TIL of Anatoliy Golitsyn a KGB agent who defected to the US in 1961. He claimed the Soviets planned a long term deception strategy to lull the West into a false sense of security by appearing to break apart predicting the fall of the Berlin Wall, formation of the EU and financial problems in the US.

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Xl9R TIL of The Hole: a facility operated by the Church of Scientology in California. The Tampa Bay Times described it as “a place of confinement and humiliation where Scientology’s management culture…grew extreme.” It has been described by ex-members comparable to that of a North Korean death camp.
L5Bm TIL there are a species of jellyfish found in freshwater in every state in America.
DQOBJ TIL medieval Europe “mummy balm,” made from human fat, was applied to wounds and believed to have healing powers. It was often taken from executed criminals with the belief their violent deaths made it more potent. This persisted for centuries until medicine shifted toward evidence-based practices.
e0x4J TIL The Queen of England has only ever broken protocol for The Changing Of The Guard once. On 9/12/2001, the day after The September 11th attacks on The World Trade Center in The United States. Instead of The English National Anthem being played during the change, it was the US National Anthem.
ee55 TIL the current President of Pakistan was born in India, while India’s prime minister was born in Pakistan.