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TIL the idea of black holes was first proposed in 1783 by John Michell, calling them "dark stars" and proposing a method to detect them by looking for star systems that showed the gravitational effects of two stars, but only one star was visible, which is indeed how scientists look for them today

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p8xM8 TIL of the 1561 celestial phenomenon over Nuremberg, Germany. The event was documented in a broadsheet news article at the time with claims that witnesses observed hundreds of spheres, cylinders and other odd-shaped objects that moved erratically overhead.
4EQX TIL after the Haiti earthquake the “Feed The Children” website claimed that the charity was “providing medical relief for 12,000 people”. In reality they sent a total of three doctors, and two weeks after the eartquake it emerged that they had fed zero people.
R5nMw TIL that Natalie Imbruglia’s Torn was a cover of a cover; it was first recorded in 1993 by Danish singer Lis Sørensen, then by the original songwriters’ band Ednaswap 1994, then by Trine Rein in 1996, before becoming a massive international hit with Natalie’s 1997 version
J9WB TIL a woman walked across the US continuously for 28 years, only to be killed in an automobile accident while being driven to a speaking engagement about her travels.
6EA78 TIL of George Spencer Millet, who died running away from 6 girls who were trying to kiss him on his birthday. He tripped and fell and a pen in his pocket stabbed his heart.