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TIL the iconic picture of Earth coined, 'The Blue Marble", was the first picture that viewed the entire planet as a whole and was only possible due to the sun being behind the Apollo 17 crew. Originally, the image was South up with Antarctica on top, but NASA flipped it to be more recognizable.

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nWnWo TIL there was a short-lived country in Africa named the Republic of Maryland, settled by freed slaves from the US state of Maryland. Their governor was named John Brown (different one) and then they got annexed by Liberia.
8eJ94 TIL rock duo Nelson changed its name to Power Tool for the soundtrack to Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure because music label Geffen Records wanted the band to make its debut with its upcoming debut album and not via a film soundtrack
woOaJ TIL there is a whale that roams alone and sings at a frequency no other whale can understand - dubbed 52 Hertz, he is the loneliest whale in the world
YpnVG TIL that the "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster from WW2 Britain was never widely distributed during the war, and only became famous when a bookseller found an original poster in a box of old books in 2000, and commercialized it.
5YvWn TIL Thurgood Marshall was almost lynched in Tennessee after winning the acquittals of 23 Black men. He was saved only because his co-counsel decided to follow Marshall and the police and intervene, instead of following orders to leave town.