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TIL that the traditional boundaries of "Tornado Alley," typically associated with states like Oklahoma and Kansas, are shifting eastward. Recent studies suggest an increase in tornado activity in the Southeastern United States, encompassing states like Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

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DQgGg TIL the use of the letters Q, X and W in official documents, including for people's names, used to be illegal in Turkey and punishable with two to six months of prison time. The ban was enacted in 1928 and lifted only nine years ago in 2013
vP054 TIL that Gene Roddenberry originally did not want to cast Patrick Stewart as Picard, since he had envisioned an actor who was "masculine, virile, and had a lot of hair".
G9wJ TIL a man named John Wesley Hyatt invented a replacement for ivory billiard balls. The balls were made of nitrocellulose, a substance prone to exploding when struck by things such as a pool cue.
Z8ZVa TIL that the Joint Chiefs of Staff came up with 'Operation Northwoods', a proposal made to JFK that would allow the CIA to carry out false flag attacks in America. Blame was to be put on Cuba, providing America with the justification for military intervention. JFK rejected the proposal.
rNnZx TIL a schoolteacher ran for Senate on a dare from his students and won the primary to become the official Democratic nominee for Senate from Texas. He became the first minority candidate in Texas history to become a United States Senate nominee from either major party.