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TIL that many countries end in the word -istan because "stan" is an ancient Persian word that means "land"

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dDyBZ TIL there are other factors involved, other than just the father's xx or xy chromosomes, in determining which type of sperm fertilizes an egg and human behavior may have a hand in how those factors affect which type of chromosome/sperm impregnates an egg.
log7V TIL that the trenches on the western front of ww1 from the North Sea all the way down to Switzerland were dug in only just over a month in the race to the sea when the allies and central powers kept trying to outflank each other.
R5jOw TIL that in ancient Rome, urine was so valuable for cleaning and tanning leather that emperors placed a tax on it.
Oj51 TIL that an arm of the Republican Party got “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repealed.
kwP5 TIL that the longest overdue book was late by 288 years