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TIL the Soviets were trying to collect rock samples from the Moon with a probe at the exact same time the Appolo 11 mission was taking place in 1969. While Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong were walking on the Moon, their probe malfunctioned and crashed into the surface miles away from them.

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l7nJ5 TIL That in 1856, the revolutionary French magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin was sent on a mission by Napoleon III to pacify the tribes of French Algeria by showing them that 'French Magic' was stronger than that of their local religious leaders
9Vlm TIL: Dinosaurs as we see them in museums, movies and everywhere are “plausible guesses” as to what they looked like. Scientists joke we might be as far off as making elephants look like a giant hamsters.
lojKa TIL there are 18 types of ice crystal including recently confirmed Ice XVIII or Supersonic Ice. It exists under extreme pressure, is black, very hot, and heavier than regular ice. Scientists believe it's the most abundant form of water in the universe and is found deep in icy planets like Uranus.
bMXE TIL in 1992, a team of game developers used a white puffball as a placeholder graphic while they designed their game’s protagonist. They grew fond of the puffball, and decided to keep him rather than replace him with a real character. He became the iconic character Kirby.
xQ77 TIL that in 1932, 15,000 World War I veterans set up camp throughout Washington DC to force Congress to immediately pay their bonus. They were forcibly removed by tanks and cavalry.