› added 8 years ago

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TIL that marines and the United States Marine Corps specifically can trace their heritage to their nations’ first privateers. As veteran marksmen who could pick off opposing forces from a moving ship, they evolved from boarders during pitched ship battles to advance raiders during naval invasions.

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xVgQ1 TIL: 14 cargo ships got stranded in the Suez Canal during the Six-Day-War in 1967 and weren’t able to leave until 8 years later.
n07Y TIL the phrase “don’t spill the beans” comes from the ancient Greek practice of placing beans in a jar to cast a vote. If someone spilled the jar, the election results would be known prematurely.
6E4am TIL that Mark Twain authored a revised version of The Battle Hymn of the Republic in response to the US Imperialism and the Philippine-American War in 1900. Lines include "Mine eyes have seen the orgy of the launching of the Sword" and "As Christ died to make men holy, let men die to make us rich"
N7751 TIL that GE chose to put the Fukushima reactor closer to the sea, knew of inherent design flaws for decades, and may be liable for damages in court.
GAVEN TIL Pocahontas is the twelfth great-grandmother of the American actor Edward Norton.