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TIL George Washington mandated the creation of the Contingency Fund for Foreign Intercourse, a secret program comprising 12% of the U.S. government's budget which funded clandestine intelligence gathering missions in Europe, including spies and political subversion.

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rRvJ4 TIL that the Greek gods considered the river Styx holy, even to them, and swore their oaths by it. Such oaths were considered so binding that even Zeus, the overlord, could not break them.
16RlW TIL that in 34 U.S. states, women are legally allowed to go topless anywhere a man can. The practice is only explicitly illegal in two states, with the remaining 14 having ambiguous legal situations.
X0DXD TIL octopuses have 9 brains and 3 hearts
Q5ME TIL that the theft of a Runescape amulet resulted in the conviction of the thieves in the Netherlands.
a1rN TIL that Somaliland, a successful de facto state with a democratic government, rebuilt itself without the help of foreign aid