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TIL that during the looting of the Chinese imperial palace at the end of the 2nd Opium War, the British soldiers took a Pekingese dog to gift to Queen Victoria. She named it "Looty"

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8VYX TIL In WWII The Soviet Airforce had an all women’s bombing division. They flew outdated airplanes (which had no parachutes) in the cover of night behind enemy lines, turning off their engines, they would drop their bombs. They were nicknamed “Night Witches” by Nazi’s and did 8-10 missions daily.
BrQbd TIL about the Grafton castaways, a real-life Gilligan's Island. Shipwrecked for 18 months in the Auckland islands in 1864, the 5 men lived in a thatched hut complete with glass windows and bookshelves. They built a forge to work metal, tanned leather, made soap from seashells, and even brewed beer.
J176j TIL former GWAR Bassist Beefcake the Mighty (Michael Bishop) received a Ph.D. in Music from UVA in 2012. After GWAR’s original vocalist died, Dr. Bishop would go on to rejoin the band as their new singer Blöthar the Berserker.
plr4 TIL that emergency and city transit vehicles have an infrared emitter to forcibly change traffic lights.
xVj6g TIL A Dead Body in Virginia Was So Obese That It’s Fat Set A Crematorium on Fire