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TIL Ataturk criticized Islam saying “It is no good for modern, progressive state. God’s revelation! There is no God! These are only the chains by which the priests and bad rulers bound the people down. A ruler who needs religion is a weaklings. No weaklings should rule!”

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697Jm TIL Boer Commandos / Kommandos of what is now South Africa were civilian units of guerilla militia that ran parallel to British troops & were re-formed, conscripted to, & disbanded several times (last was 2005). Entire families in district command, control of taxes & fighting in rough terrain.
pR1G TIL Adjusting for inflation, Gone with the Wind from 1939 is the highest grossing movie of all time, not Avatar.
YpJZv TIL there are dairy farms with cows trained to use automatic milking machines, which will milk the cows automatically whenever the cow feels like it. The machines will even remember each cow individually, and push them out if they've been there too recently.
yQnZM TIL You could fit all the planets in our solar system between the Earth and the Moon.
EgoZ7 TIL Julius Caesar, kidnapped by pirates, demanded they increase his ransom. After his release, he captured and crucified them, fulfilling his promise made during captivity.