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TIL that the width between the two sides of the House of Commons in British parliament is the length of two swords. It is believed that this was to prevent disputes from degenerating into duels.

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YpZ57 TIL After Col. Shaw died in battle, Confederates buried him in a mass grave as an insult for leading black soldiers. Union troops tried to recover his body, but his father sent a letter saying "We would not have his body removed from where it lies surrounded by his brave and devoted soldiers."
VMoXk TIL that Some of Moscow’s stray dogs have figured out how to use the city’s immense and complex subway system, getting on and off at their regular stops. In the morning they travel into city to scavenge for food and catch the train back home in the evening.
dxyK TIL little penguins in Australia are protected by snipers, to prevent poaching
WkGLo TIL Cave painters used the flickering fire as an early form of animation!
914r TIL that potential heirs to the throne of the Ottoman Empire, when born, were kept in a “cage” until they assumed the throne, resulting in many kings to be crazed uneducated madmen.