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TIL of the Hoplitodromos, a sporting event in the ancient Greek Olympic Games in which competitors would run wearing a heavy shield and helmet over a distance of 400 meters, which coincided with the effective area of a Persian archer's zone of fire

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j4kp TIL that Mark Haub, a professor at Kansas State University, went on a “convenience store” diet which mainly consisted of Twinkies, Oreos, and Doritos to demonstrate that counting calories is what matters most in weight loss, not the nutritional value in food. He lost 27 pounds in only two months.
R7JYj TIL the Church of the SubGenius is a parody religion that satirises better known belief systems. Church members seek to acquire “Slack” through sex and avoidance of work.
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VBpwQ TIL that a Roman envoy stopped the Seleucid invasion of Egypt by drawing a circle around the invading Seleucid king and daring him to literally cross the line.