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TIL on July 5th 1916 the no.2 construction battalion was created and the only predominately African canadian battalion since confederation. It allowed black men who were previously turned away to enlist.

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8ajPV TIL that Robert Ballard's discovery of the Titanic in 1985 was actually a by product. The expedition which found the wreck was funded by the US government to study the effects of radiation from two US Navy submarines which had sunk in the 1960s. The Titanic search was a cover.
VMpJk TIL that the pretext for the French invasion and subsequent 132 year occupation/colonization of Algeria, was their diplomat getting hit with a flyswatter.
o5pA TIL the rate of inflation in Bolivia went an estimated 25,000% to a single digit within a period of less than 6 weeks because of economic “shock therapy” designed by their former president
oBZaY TIL of Marjorie McCall who "lived once and was buried twice". When she died the first time of illness, grave robbers tried to steal her ring by cutting off her finger, waking her from her coma. She left her grave to live on until she died (again) some years later
kmGE TIL that contrary to popular belief, almost all surgery during the American Civil War was performed under general anesthesia and “pain bullets” are a myth. They were actually chewed by pigs.