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TIL A Japanese farmer discovered a gold seal while repairing an irrigation ditch in 1784. The seal turned out to be 95% pure gold and was a gift from the Chinese Emperor to a Japanese envoy from 54 CE, the earliest recorded date of contact between the two countries.

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wom4o TIL of Malik Ambar (1548 – 1626), a black man enslaved in the horn of Africa, converted to Islam, brought to India and freed upon his master's death. From there he would create a successful mercenary army, pioneer guerillera warfare, and become a prime minister known for his administrative skill.
rNapM Today I learned that Italy is the country with the most sites on the World Heritage Site list, with 58 areas. China comes in second place, with 56 protected sites, followed by Germany, with 51 sites.
R9D1 TIL that a Gurkha Soldier of the Indian Army single handedly fought off 40 armed bandits with his knife killing 3 and injuring 8 to save a girl from getting raped during a train robbery in India.
x6aKk TIL North America was once divided by the great Western Interior Seaway that ranged from the present Artic to Gulf of Mexico beginning around the Mesozoic period (approx. 200 millions years ago +/-) Its why Alberta, a land locked province, has such great fossil deposits.
kJ5rE TIL of Dr. Jessie Lazear, an American physician who studied yellow fever under the famous Dr. Walter Reed. He allowed himself to be bitten by an infected mosquito, and died of the disease himself 17 days later, confirming how the disease was spread. His sacrifice saved millions.