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TIL that Algeria’s national anthem “Kassaman” was first written by poet Moufdi Zakaria on the wall of his prison cell using his own blood after he was arrested and tortured during the Algerian independence movement

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Kjdw TIL that in a secret 1960 operation, the CIA stole the Russian satellite Lunik overnight completely disassembling, examining, and reassembling it within 12 hours, and returned it in the morning without the Russians knowing - possibly changing the outcome of the space race.
nGJ7 TIL: Flo from Progressive makes $500k/year doing those commercials
1axWP TIL that director William Friedkin first approached Audrey Hepburn for the role of Chris MacNeil in "The Exorcist" but she was only willing to take the role if it was shot in Rome, as she had recently moved to Italy. Also considered, ahead of Ellen Burstyn, were Anne Bancroft and Jane Fonda.
JXQj TIL The Cuyahoga River was so polluted it actually caught on fire. 13 fires later the gov’t was spurred onto to create the Clean Water Act and the EPA
Z8xJo TIL the lyrics "Let me stand next to your fire" came from when Jimi Hendrix was at Noel Redding's mother's house, and Jimi asked Noel's mother if he could "stand next to her fire" to warm up. The family dog was laying by the fire which inspired the line, "Move over Rover, and let Jimi take over."