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TIL Stalin demolished a Moscow cathedral to make way for a “Palace of the Soviets”, which would have been the world’s tallest building, but WWII halted construction after only the foundation had been excavated. Eventually, the foundation pit was converted into the world’s largest outdoor pool.

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a8MYJ TIL it is safe to observe the solar eclipse during the period of totality, and without any protection.
887X TIL that the word “nickname” is just a screwed up version of “ekename,” which means “additional name.” People confused “an ekename” enough that it became “a nickname.”
8aYg4 TIL. Inhabitants of Hamburg, Germany are known as Hamburgers
Q5re TIL that in Ancient Rome a slave would continuously whisper ‘Remember you are mortal’ in the ears of victorious generals as they were paraded through the streets after coming home, triumphant, from battle.
w6wE TIL A Seattle businessman founded a sperm bank in 1980 which accepted sperm only from Nobel laureates or ‘accomplished men.’ The intent was to create genetically superior children. Of the 218 children born under the program many are reportedly geniuses at various disciplines.