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TIL an orphan from Uganda, who spent his youth as a human scarecrow on his abusive uncle’s farm, ran away at 14. With the help of a charity called YES Uganda, he has since earned 2 degrees, started a biotech company, founded a non-profit, and given a talk at TED.

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dVo9 TIL the original children’s book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” was actually incredibly violent, with Dorothy and friends killing nearly 100 animals and people during their quest. Dorothy’s trademark shoes were also silver, not ruby like the movie.
x6vL1 TIL during the Battle of Mars-la-Tour in the Franco-Prussian War, Von Bredow led 800 cavalry against a French force 4 times in size. He declared "it will cost what it will." The charge succeeded, but only 420 men returned out of 800. It was the last major European cavalry charge in history.
4XZjJ TIL the original Routemaster double-decker buses in London could carry over 60 people with a single 115 hp engine
5YRmp TIL that Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens was part of the Navy codebreaking team that, in 1943, fatally targeted the flight of Japanese Admiral Yamamoto, the architect of the Pearl Harbor attack. In 1932, Stevens witnessed Babe Ruth's called-shot home run in the Yankees-Cubs World Series.
kZgg TIL Time, spatial, and memory distortions are common in police officers after shootings. One officer described a memory of “beer cans” floating past his face, with the word “Federal” printed on the bottom. They were the shell casings from the officer firing next to him.