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TIL that in Ireland 40 years ago, Malcolm MacArthur, a socialite with a yen for bow ties and cravats, bludgeoned a woman to death, killed a farmer with his own shotgun then attempted to rob a US diplomat. He was found in the apartment of the Irish attorney general, who had hosted him as a guest.

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awgvN TIL that when the Mars lander Beagle 2 failed, it was assumed that the landing system failed and blame was placed on Colin Pillinger, lead scientist. After this he wasn't allowed to lead any more missions. He died a year before the lander was discovered intact, proving the landing system worked fine
O7le TIL that Despot, Tyrant, Dictator, and Autocrat were originally respectable titles and did not have the negative connotations we do today
R77AQ TIL Russia is slowly and quietly annexing the country of Georgia by methods such as simply picking up border signs and moving them further into Georgian territory.
e07Ak TIL while Richard Nixon was on a trip to the Soviet Union in 1959, high levels of radiation were detected the room he was staying in. Secret Service purposely argued about the radiation and how to handle it in an area they knew the Soviets had bugged. Three hours later, the radiation disappeared.
VBEW4 TIL about the Surf Nazi subculture. Although surf boards with swastikas on them had been sold since the 30s, the movement did not gain much notoriety until the late 50s through the 80s. Many Surf Nazis believed in localism - an ideology promoting hostility towards outsiders/non-white surfers.