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TIL The name of the family in the Swiss Family Robinson is not actually Robinson (which isn't a Swiss name) but refers to the novel being part of the "Robinsonade" genre of literature, referring to Robinson Crusoe

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Y7eWP TIL about the Diomede Islands - Big Diomede is in Russian territory, Little Diomede is in the U.S. They're just 2 miles apart, but due to the International Date Line, Big Diomede is 21 hours ahead of Little Diomede.
78EX7 TIL: In 1977, a lightning bolt hit a NYC power line, triggering a 25-hour blackout. The blackout led to widespread looting and arson. It showed how vulnerable cities are to natural disasters.
bj67 TIL Your immune system destroys at least one cell every day that would have become cancer if it lived
WklA9 TIL during the Battle of Bomarsund in 1854, Charles Davis Lucas tossed a live Russian artillery shell overboard before it exploded. He would be awarded the Victoria Cross and ultimately ascend to the rank of Rear Admiral before retiring in 1873, dying in 1914 at the age of 80
D19we TIL The underwater wreckage of Titanic will disappear by 2030. It's being 'eaten away' by a microorganism "Halomonas titanicae". Also known as the "steel-munching bacteria', they have a special liking towards metals.