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TIL the state of Maryland narrows to a width of less than two miles (3 km) in the Hancock area—the smallest non-vertex border-to-border distance of any U.S. state

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p8ADA TIL that San Francisco had an outbreak of BUBONIC PLAGUE in 1900–1904 that killed 119. While city officials acted quickly to contain it, California Gov. Henry Gage covered it up to protect the powerful railroads and other businesses. Some newspapers helped by defaming the city health commissioner.
yw5J TIL Ophiocordyceps unilateralis has been known to destroy entire ant colonies. In response, ants have evolved the ability to sense that a member of the colony is infected; healthy ants will carry the dying one far away from the colony in order to avoid fungal spore exposure.
rNnZx TIL a schoolteacher ran for Senate on a dare from his students and won the primary to become the official Democratic nominee for Senate from Texas. He became the first minority candidate in Texas history to become a United States Senate nominee from either major party.
m1njo TIL of Ignaz Trebitsch-Lincoln. A Hungarian Of Jewish descent, he spent parts of his life as a Protestant missionary, Anglican priest, British Member of Parliament for Darlington, German right-wing politician and spy, Nazi collaborator, Buddhist abbot in China, and self-proclaimed Dalai Lama.
b90YE TIL First 13 Chernobyl firefighters were taken to Moscow and were treated according to Dr. Robert Gale's instructions and only 2 survived. Second group of 11 firefighters were taken to Kiev and were treated by a different method - all 11 were saved.