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TIL the Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858 drew crowds of up to 16,000 people—even though they lasted three hours, with a 1-hour opening speech, a 90-minute rebuttal, and a 30-minute closing.The debates were so popular that newspapers printed full transcripts.

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Q6Za TIL that ancient Roman kids wore amulets devoted to the divine phallus. These effigies depicted winged penises or fist/penis hybrids - home charms showed ejaculating penises into eyes or multi-phallic sculptures. These charms helped protecting from evil eye (eg.babies’ necks), give strength or luck.
A81d TIL the United States rents Guantanamo Bay from Cuba for $4085 a month, but Cuba has only cashed one check in the past 55 years –– by accident.
Vvd0 TIL that Harvard has a pigment library where the sources of rare colors are stored. These sources include ground shells of now extinct insects, poisonious metals, and wrappings from Egyptian mummies.
9w0am TIL that scientists have discovered the world's largest coral near the Pacific's Solomon Islands, measuring 34m wide, 32m long, and 5.5m high. The coral, found in October, belongs to the Pavona clavus species and is a standalone structure.
Br0Dx TIL Mercer Island is an Island in Lake Washington near Seattle. It is the most populated island in a lake within the United States.