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TIL about Gordon, or "Whipped Peter", an enslaved African American. The pictures of his scourged back provided Northerners with visual evidence of brutal treatment of slaves. Abolitionists distributed the pictures throughout the United States and internationally to show the abuses of slavery.

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KOoEw TIL of Miki Endo, a Japanese emergency worker who gave her life during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, by continuing to broadcast warnings and alerts over the community loudspeaker as the tsunami overwhelmed the town of Minamisanriku. She was credited with saving many lives.
P1KYO TIL that Linear A, the writing system used by the Minoans of Crete, still hasn't been deciphered.
0wDvy TIL Tim Curry suffered a stroke in 2012 that left him in a wheel chair. But he is active in politics, and did a live table reading of Rocky Horror Picture Show last year to raise funds for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin
oBwwR TIL that France suffered from demographic stagnation through the 19th century. While Germany and the UK increased their population by 60% and 54%, France grew only by 8%. If France had the same population growth as England, it's current population would've been over 150 million people.
8aEP4 TIL The Price Is Right rigs the plinko game for promotional ads using fishing line so that the chip lands in the $10,000 slot. The wire was mistakenly left in place and a contestant dropped 3 consecutive chips before it was noticed. She was allowed to keep the money.