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TIL, 2016 Dallas, TX College Sniper Attack, SWAT planned for a bomb disposal robot with C4 explosive on its arm to enter a room next to a wall where the shooter was. The C4 blasted the wall, killing the gunman. This marked the first time a robot was used in targeted lethal force in the U.S.

oBavK TIL that Prudence Crandall, born on September 3, 1803, was an American schoolteacher and activist who is credited with running the first integrated school in the United States as well as running the first school for black girls in America.
8aW6P TIL that Czar Nicholas II of Russia and King George V of England got large dragon tattoos on their arms while they were touring Japan. The two monarchs, first cousins, went on to lead their respective nations in WWI.
grBRX TIL that, in 1847, the British chocolatier Joseph Fry pressed a moldable paste made of cocoa butter, sugar and chocolate liquor into a bar shape. In doing so, he invented the modern chocolate bar, and made chocolate more accessible to the general public and not just a luxury item for the elite.
Z8KpD TIL About polymer banknotes, and how they're in general circulation in at least 30 countries. They were first developed in Australia to replace paper banknotes with a more secure and more durable alternative.
rRAp1 TIL that in 2015 the town of Collecchio in Italy passed a law requiring the use of "silent fireworks" to help reduce stress on veterans, pets, children, and wildlife. While not completely silent, they are much quieter than traditional fireworks and can be more colorful.