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TIL of Merv, a now unpopulated oasis in the Central Asian desert. It may have been the largest city in the world by population in the 12th and 13th centuries, before being massacred during the Mongol conquests, and later forcibly depopulated in 1789

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VMwpB TIL that during the Cold War, the USSR mapped the entire world to precise detail. The U.S State Department still uses the maps today due to their accuracy.
Z8ygQ TIL that higher levels of omega-3 in diet are associated with better sleep
lEk5 TIL the word “Testify” originates from the Latin word for testicle. Two men taking an oath of allegiance would hold their balls as a sign of truthfulness. If they broke their oath they would lose their manhood, literally putting their balls on the line.
BR9K TIL: Repeats of the 180-episode sitcom Seinfeld has generated over $3 billion in syndication royalties.
WdbY TIL in 1976 there was a wine tasting competition in Paris that blindly compared Californian wines to French wines. California won and the lone reporter covering the event was blacklisted for reporting it.