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TIL that the first person to see human chromosomes through a microscope made a counting error, and published a paper in 1923 stating that there were 24 pairs of them. The error remained widely accepted as a scientific fact for 33 years until it was corrected.

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awewo TIL The oldest known soldier to have served during the American Civil War was Curtis king who enlisted in the Union Army at 80 years old. By all accounts he served his country honorably.
mx7bO TIL that for 12 years, the Mr. Potato Head toy was intended to be used with real potatoes.
epmWJ TIL that Killer Cult leader Charles Manson was a folk musician earlier in his life, and recorded songs.
09vy TIL Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption, Walking Dead) worked on a script for ‘Indiana Jones 4’ for over a year; the results loved by Spielberg and Harrison Ford. George Lucas hated the drafts however, and Darabont told Lucas 'You’re insane’ before leaving the project.
ANXrw TIL the Buddha's tribe of origin, the Shakyas, practiced the veneration of trees and sacred groves. Tree veneration remains important in Buddhism today, particularly in the practice of venerating Bodhi (fig) trees, the type of tree that the Buddha eventually attained enlightenment under.