› added 10 years ago

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TIL that Ukraine in 1994 gave up its nuclear weapons to Russia and in return Russia (together with US and UK) agreed to respect Ukrainian independence and sovereignty within her borders (among other things)

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oRkkE TIL that in 1996, Bindu Jua, a female gorilla in Brookfield zoo cradled a 3 year old child, who fell into her enclosure and broke his arm, with much care until he received medical attention
0alR TIL In 1854, during the Crimean war, the British hospital in Constantinople was extremely unhygienic. Patients lay in their own excrement, and rodents and bugs scurried past them. More soldiers died of disease than injury. Florence Nightingale fixed this by getting patients to clean the hospital.
p851G TIL In 1966, the Beatles were making so much money that they had to pay a 95% "supertax" on their earnings in the UK. After finding out how much money they were losing, Beatles guitarist George Harrison wrote the song "Taxman" out of anger.
4kPN TIL that Will Smith was offered the role of Superman/Clark Kent but declined, saying: “You mess up white peoples’ heroes in Hollywood, you’ll never work in this town again!”
m5Qy TIL of Karl von Müller, Captain of the German WWI vessel the SMS Emden, who would allow the passengers of the enemy merchant ships time to gather their belongings and abandon the ship before sinking it.