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TIL of a sociological theory that posits most Americans are believers of a "civil religion" - which enshrines sacred symbols such as the flag, claims America's prosperity is due to divine providence, and idolizes soldiers and veterans as martyrs for a higher American purpose

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KQ76 TIL that Japan was almost completely isolated from the outside world for over 200 years between the 17th and 19th centuries due to a policy called “Sakoku”. No foreigner could enter and no Japanese could leave the country under penalty of death.
oRKwL TIL: stalking predators, whether mammals or birds, tend to have yellow or light-colored irises, whereas predators that run after their prey, and prey-species themselves, tend to be dark-eyed
oJ7o TIL the Statue of Liberty was originally supposed to preside over the entrance to the Suez Canal in Port Sa'id, Egypt.
awwG0 TIL Singapore is the largest importer of sand world-wide and the world’s highest per capita consumer of sand at 5.4 tonnes per inhabitant
XEZGQ TIL Boris Yeltsin made a unplanned stop at a grocery store in Texas after visiting the Johnson Space Center. He was so amazed by what they had in the store compared to the USSR, it lead him to leave the Communist party and tried make massive economic reform in Russia