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TIL when the United States asked to buy the lease for their London embassy, the Duke of Westminster agreed to sell it on the condition that the United States return to his family the state of Virginia, which had been confiscated from them during the War of Independence. The United States declined.

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XVy6 TIL Russian ice slides of the 17th century inspired the modern roller coaster. They were wooden structures often 70-80 ft high with ice frozen over a sloping ramp which stretched out 100s of feet. Riders ploughed into a pile of sand to slow them down.
dDj8r TIL after doctors removed a mass from a 47-yr-old man's lung that they believed was a malignant tumor, they discovered it was a Playmobil toy traffic cone that he had swallowed on his 7th birthday in 1974. His airway was able to adapt, which is most likely why he didn't show symptoms until he was 40
grn4 TIL Emperor Caligula would chew his victims testicles as a form of torture.
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P1r9E TIL that about 90–95% of the body’s serotonin is made in the gut, not the brain. Intestinal cells and gut microbes regulate its production, and while it mainly controls digestion and inflammation, it also influences brain signaling, mood, and risk for conditions like depression and anxiety.