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TIL during WWII the British government distributed 600,000 Morrison shelters, which were designed as a DIY indoor bomb shelter kit for houses without cellars. When properly positioned they could protect a family from the collapse of a two story building and also doubled as dining table.

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78ldO TIL that from the beginning of the Cold War to 1978, the US Army created a fictionalised opposing force known as the Aggressor Republic to train against in war games. The fictional Mediterranean nation was detailed enough that it had its own backstory and unique forces structure [PDF warning]
Y789B TIL North American colonial powers paid bounties to people who turned in scalps of killed Native Americans. Colonists’ use of scalping against Native American people likely accelerated the practice.
1aEbP TIL in 1986, Run DMC released the hip hop song "My Adidas", leading to the first endorsement deal between a musical act and an athletic company.
VB6W4 TIL that 'Meh!', the interjection used to express indifference or boredom, only became a commonly used expression after it was used in a 1994 episode of The Simpsons.
oB8bR TIL that in times of urgency, the Mongols rode 10 days on end without stopping to light a fire or have a meal. During such times they drank the blood of their horses to sustain themselves.