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TIL of the 1991 Downing Street mortar attack, in which IRA members launched three mortars at No. 10 Downing Street during a cabinet meeting, attempting to kill John Major. One hit the lawn 30 yards away, and it is believed that if this mortar had hit the building the entire cabinet would have died.

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LkOad People who have cardiovascular disease can reduce their risk of death by almost a third simply by maintaining normal vitamin D levels. This is the finding of a new study recently published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
VMLvk TIL that according to rumour, the emperor Augustus, suspecting that his wife was trying to poison him, refused to eat anything except figs that he had picked himself. His wife smeared poison on the figs while they were still on the tree to preempt him.
v1PrR TIL when George Westinghouse fell into financial problems and asked Nikola Tesla for relief from the royalties Westinghouse agreed to, Tesla tore up the contract that would bring him millions. "I'm not interested in money, I'm interested in leaving something behind for the humankind".
b6Lla TIL in 1830, around 13.7% of the U.S. black population was free, totaling about 319,599. Surprisingly, 3,775 free blacks owned 12,760 slaves, according to the census.
9YOa6 TIL that for the 1952 British Columbia election the Liberal/Conservative coalition introduced a ranked choice voting system with the hopes of keeping the surging Co-operative Commonwealth Federation out of power...it backfired and instead gave a majority to the fledgling Social Credit Party instead