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TIL of Clayton "Peg Leg" Bates: born in South Carolina the black son of a sharecropper in 1907, he danced on the street for coins as a child, lost his leg at 12, taught himself to tap-dance afterwards, was competing in talent shows by 15, on Broadway by 20 and performing for royalty by 30.

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neBv9 TIL In 2000, one of the worst peacetime submarines accidents ever took place off the coast of Russia. A huge explosion sank the giant nuclear-powered submarine Kursk, killing most of its crew and stranding nearly two dozen survivors hundreds of feet underwater.
OoBaa TIL Oval car stickers were originally a requirement for European vehicles to indicate their country of origin. Travelers from abroad would bring the stickers home to show off their destinations. They have since become a popular style of bumper sticker for many destinations outside of Europe as well.
9YyOB TIL that in 1995 NASA updated an original study by Peter N Witt on the effects of various drugs on spiders and found similar results.
ADRAo TIL Ancient Romans used flying penis amulets to protect them and their children from illness
e0Wb5 TIL that Longyou Grottoe, which are no less than 2,000 years old, represent one of the largest underground excavations of ancient times. Scientists from around the world have absolutely no idea how they were built, by whom, and why.