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TIL the African nation of Zambia aspired to beat US and Russia in the Space Race. Their "Afronaut" prep. program included using a tire swing to simulate weightlessness along with downhill barrel rolls for the g-force. They also had plans to Christianize the Martian population, among other things.

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OoyQR TIL that William McAdoo's decision to close the NYSE for 4 months in 1914 to prevent Europeans from selling American securities and exchanging proceeds for USD, and then gold, led to a decisive shift in the global balance of economic power, from Europe to the USA
pY1XQ TIL a pigeon named Cher Ami became a war hero in WWI by flying 25 miles to deliver a life-saving message, despite being shot, blinded in one eye, and flying with one leg barely attached she saved 194 soldiers and was awarded a medal, buried with honors, and now rests in the Smithsonian.
Meop8 TIL about the Chloe Cooley incident, in which a young black woman was seen being forced into a boat to be sold in 1793. This incident was observed by several witnesses, who then petitioned the Executive Council of Upper Canada, which eventually led to the passage of the Act Against Slavery, 1793.
e0e8g TIL of "My Way" killings: The singing of Frank Sinatra's "My Way" in karaoke bars in the Philippines has on multiple occasions led to fatal disputes, including one where a man was shot for "singing off-key"
oRJxo TIL that four young people drowned in a narrow passage in an underground cave in Provo Utah 2005. They think one person tried to turn around and the others were unable to pass her. They knew the cave was unsafe.