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15

TIL that The Gambia and Tobago were colonised by the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia - now part of Latvia. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Latvian Duchy was unable to hold on to its colonial possessions for very long.

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en45 TIL Nigeria has suffered a cumulative oil spill equivalent to the Exxon-Valdez. Every year. For the past 50 years.
NXyR6 TIL Abraham Lincoln was the only president who was also a licensed bartender.
PYvwn TIL The human immune systems neutrophil granulocytes engulf and kill bacteria with hypochlorous acid, the active ingredient in bleach, as well as hydrogen peroxide - effectively sanitizing the body with the same chemicals we use to sanitize surfaces.
l7aMB TIL Niccolò Michelozzi, head of the florentine chancellery in 1512 imposed a policy of "rigorous record keeping" on his staffers. He would occasionaly send them official mail from the office, saying "we have nothing to write to you about today, but we write you anyway, just for good practice"
gMB5X TIL there is a 2001 Volvo stuck on a tiny island in Ottawa, Illinois