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TIL in 1945 the Soviet Union invited top leaders of the Polish government in exile to Moscow under a promise of safe conduct to participate in talks on the post war government. Upon their arrival, they were instead arrested, tortured, and convicted in subsequent show trials as German collaborators

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wrMJ TIL millions of bats in North America are dying from a disease called White Nose Syndrome. Scientists don’t know how to treat the illness. In 2008 an estimated 2.4 million pounds of insects went uneaten due to the diminished bat population, causing major strain on agriculture in New England.
vkJ8 TIL that during the American Revolutionary War, it is estimated that over twice as many American fighters died from disease (17,000+) as from battle (6,800).
V4B8 TIL The BEANO T-13 hand grenade was an experimental hand grenade developed by the OSS in the later years of WWII. The designers believed that by emulating the size and weight of a baseball, any American young man should be able to properly throw the grenade with both accuracy and distance.
4knog TIL that the Royal Albert Hall was ‘furious’ over Beatles "A Day in the Life" lyric. It only has 32 holes and it's not in Blackburn, Lancashire.
XyDP TIL that George Washington, an avid believer in bloodletting, likely died of blood loss while being treated for a severe sore throat.