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TIL There are more slaves on Earth today than at any other time in history. Through forced labor, at or below subsistence wages, sex trafficking, forced marriages, etc, there are an estimated 27 Million slaves in today’s world

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1agv8 TIL of US Army master sergeant Roy Benavidez. During the Vietnam War, he fought 1000 NVA soldiers for 6 hours with only a knife while saving the lives of his comrades. He was so badly injured he was presumed dead and when a doctor was about to zip his body bag, he spat in the doctor's face.
JYwEj TIL Dolly Parton's "Jolene" is about a red-headed clerk who had a crush on her husband, but the song is named after one of her fans. Dolly told her, "That is pretty. That sounds like a song. I'm going to write a song about that."
eLwk TIL in Italy, wheels of parmesan cheese can be used as collateral for loans. Banks charge 3-5% interest (depending on the quality) and a fee for maturing in temperature- and humidity-controlled vaults; large vaults can hold as many as 430,000 wheels worth €190M
oLwR TIL: The “Freestyle” Stroke is actually called the Front Crawl, It just happens that in the freestyle swimming competition that Front Crawl is universally the fastest stroke so everyone uses it. That is where the name/misnamed stroke comes from
DQ1Rp TIL The Gobi Desert is expanding through desertification, most rapidly on the southern edge into China, which is seeing 3,600 km² (1,390 mi²) of grassland overtaken every year.