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TIL there are 7 days in a week thanks to the Babylonians, who lived in modern-day Iraq. As keen observers of the heavens, the Babylonians adopted 7 days because they observed 7 celestial bodies — the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.

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mP6Y TIL there is a huge abandoned fortress 70 nautical miles off the coast of Key West in Florida. Fort Jefferson remains the largest all-masonry fort in the United States and was briefly used as a prison for Union deserters in the Civil War.
Wv94 TIL that mercury use in hat-making, which causes “Mad Hatters Disease”, was banned in France in 1898, However the practice continued in the US until 1941, despite 80% of hatmakers being diagnosed with “mercurial tremors”, until it was abandoned due to the wartime need for mercury.
mxgbx TIL about "Georgian swimming" - a swimming style where swimmer's hand and feet are bound together. It was re-discovered in the 60es after a swimming enthusiast decided to fact-check a legend about ancient warriors training by swimming in this manner.
v1A5x TIL that Nebraska community college student Katy Ayers grew a canoe out of mushroom roots (mycelium) to prove fungi is a bio-friendly building material. It floats with two passengers, but when it gets wet it fruits (sprouts mushrooms). Katy plans to get a Ph.D. in mycology then help save the planet.
e01r6 TIL that all F1 races have had the same safety car driver since the year 2000. Bernd Mayländer has driven over 700 laps total in all the F1 circuits around the world.