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TIL. About 10% percent of Union soldiers in the American civil war were under the age of 18. The official enlistment age was 18 but many lied about their ages to be able to fight. Some even ran away from home to do so.

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JBe4 TIL that humans are the best long-distance runners on the planet, able to beat horses (and everything else) in marathon distance races.
ne9x7 TIL that the murder of Billy Batts in the movie "Goodfellas" is based on the killing of William Bentvena, with the only significant difference being he was killed two days after the shoe shine insult.
Rx09 TIL a Japanese zoo unsuccessfully tried to mate a pair of hyenas for four years before realizing both were males.
G7p1 TIL in 1962, the actress Clara Blandick, who played “Auntie Em” in The Wizard of Oz, neatly arranged her room to display memorabilia, press clippings, and a resume of her career. She then dressed immaculately, took an overdose of sleeping pills, and tied a plastic bag over her head.
OkvR TIL horseshoe crabs’ blood does not contain hemoglobin. Instead, it contains hemocyanin, giving it a blue color. It also contains immune cells called amebocytes, which are used in medicine to detect bacterial endotoxins.