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TIL in 1974, the British Army took over Heathrow Airport. Although it was publicly said to be practice against an IRA plot, PM Wilson and the government had no knowledge of the exercise. It was later revealed that the British Army was planning a coup, and it was a trial run.

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AN7vw TIL German footballer Uwe Seeler was the first player to score in four world cups when he scored in the 1970 tournament in Mexico, beating Pele to that record by only three minutes.
OGG6a TIL of the Battle of Liberty Place in 1874. After a disputed election, the White League attempted to overthrow the government of Louisiana. The insurgency was put down with the help of former Confederate general James Longstreet leading a unit of African-American militia.
LkexQ TIL Sokushinbutsu is the practice of Buddhist monks self-mummifying while still alive. They'd spend years preparing by relying on a diet of pine needles, resins & seeds, which eliminates bodyfat. After starving, the monks would stop drinking, which dehydrated & shrank their organs, leading to death.
gMvp9 TIL in the original Greek democracy, elections were seen as undemocratic and oligarchic. To them everyone was equal so they selected their leaders randomly in a process called Sortition.
E1vpo TIL about Spinal Track, a nonprofit specializing in giving disabled drivers the opportunity to operate high performance vehicles on a track or off-road. Co-founded by Nathalie McGloin, the only female tetraplegic racing driver in the world