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TIL that in 1862 Lincoln rejected an offer for a battalion of elephants from the King of Siam (present day Thailand). The elephants would have been a follow up to a set of "royal gifts" which included a sword "of costly materials" already sent to the president. Talk about a white elephant!

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woloJ TIL Niger has the highest, by far, fertility rate in the world at 6.6, meaning every woman has over six children on average. In fact, of the 31 countries with the highest fertility rate on earth, 30 are in Africa.
KZvE TIL Chris Farley was the original choice to voice the title character of the DreamWorks animated film Shrek, but died just before recording was finished. It’s said approximately 80-90% of his lines were recorded, but none of these recordings have surfaced.
Ype67 TIL Dr. Elsie Inglis founded the Scottish Women's Hospitals Committee in order to create a mobile army hospital staffed by women. By 1917, 4 hospitals and 14 medical units had been created, staffed by over 1000 women doctors, nurses, orderlies and drivers.
p8KeN TIL of Charles Fraser-Smith (one of the inspirations behind 'Q' in the James Bond movies) designed a special left-hand thread for the disguised screw-off top of a hidden-document container; he thought that "no German would ever think of trying to unscrew something the wrong way."
9wEj7 TIL Survivalist Cody Lundin hasn’t worn “shoes” since the late 1980s. He treks barefoot through extreme climates and environments barefoot. He also only wears shorts.