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TIL an American entrepreneur and magnate ran as an independent Presidential candidate in 1872, and later ran for the position of dictator of the USA, drawing record crowds to campaign rallies (despite charging an admission fee). Instead of shaking hands with other people, he shook hands with himself

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8ePXX TIL manuscripts maintained by double cloisters where monks and nuns allied together and physically located next to each other had more repairs done to parchment (skin) tears and holes than standalone cloisters. Some repairs used the parchment holes as a starting point for illustrations
x6A6g TIL about the submarine USS R-14, who in during a rescue mission in 1921 had its fuel contaminated with seawater, cause the loss of battery power and radio communication. Its crew were able to make the 161 mile return trip to homeport by creating sails out of hammocks and blankets.
ANron TIL that Ethiopia and Eritrea are the only two African countries not to have a European language or Arabic as their official language.
xvE5 TIL in WWII Japan used underwater manned suicide torpedos called Kaiten to destroy American ships. If they were successful, they blew up. If they missed, they sank to the bottom of the ocean.
D1ayr TIL Bruce Willis suffered from severe stuttering as a child. He discovered the stutter disappeared while performing in a school play through the memorization of lines. While studying acting in college it was the combination of acting and speech therapy which helped him overcome his condition.