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TIL: 150 hand-picked homosexual partners made up an elite ancient fighting force in Greece

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6o5Y TIL that NASA flew an F-106B through 1,496 thunderstorms on purpose to improve aviation lightning protection standards. It was hit by lightning 714 times.
woPk1 TIL that insects are not attracted to lights "like moths to a flame." But they are constantly forced to alter their flight path instinctually with their backs to the brightest source of light.
BgW9e TIL The Norwegian heavy-water saboteurs in 1943 put the whole operation on ice for 2 or 3 minutes to help the man guarding the facility find his misplaced glasses. After they found his glasses, they lit the fuses and the sabotage was a success. All saboteurs got out alive without any shots fired.
P1QMV TIL the late Jerry and Rita Alter, a suburban New Mexico couple, allegedly stole Willem de Kooning's Woman-Ochre from the University of Arizona Museum of Art in 1985 and kept the $160 million artwork on the wall behind their bedroom door until it was found there after Rita died in 2017.
KOD1w TIL Throughout the world boys are lagging in overall achievement. "It's tough for all kids to sit down and pay attention for six, seven hours but it's generally harder for boys"