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TIL that future President Rutherford B. Hayes quit his law practice and volunteered for service in the US Civil War in 1861 at almost 40 years old with no prior military experience. He fought at several major battles and was wounded five time.

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7rwmL TIL: scorpians are arachnids, those coming from Egypt have special proteins that allow themselves to glow in UV blacklight
p84lA TIL that the Finnish Air Force had used the swastika as an insignia since 1918, before the Nazi's existed, they were forced to change it in 1944 but still use it today in parades.
69Rkl TIL during World War II, the British government commissioned a project called "Operation Vegetarian," which planned to drop linseed cakes infected with anthrax over Germany to contaminate livestock and cause a food shortage. The plan was never executed, test sites remained contaminated for decades.
ba7a TIL It Was Once Someone’s Job to Chat With the King While He Used the Toilet
ANWNo TIL James Cameron would use a nail gun to nail the film crew's cell phones to a wall in retaliation for unwanted ringing during the production of Avatar.