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TIL in 1942 RMS Laconia was sunk by a German U-Boat who then commenced rescue operations, broadcasting their humanitarian intent on open radio. With a deck full of survivors, USAAF bombers then sunk the boat. The German navy subsequently abandoned attempting rescue of civilian survivors.

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N7NEb TIL about the Diolkos, an ancient "railway" that enabled ships to travel overland across the Isthmus of Corinth
ADB44 TIL the coelacanth, a prehistoric lobed-finned fish, was believed to have become extinct in the Late Cretaceous Era 66 millions years ago, until they were rediscovered extant off the coast of South Africa in 1938.
8PDX TIL the swedish writer Astrid Lindgren had to pay 102% tax in 1974. She wrote a satirical short story about it, which likely changed the outcome of the upcoming election.
Vl0D TIL The SS United States, launched in 1951, still holds the record as the fastest ocean liner to cross the Atlantic in either direction.
GeLE TIL in 1968 a man built an island off the coast of Italy and declared himself the President. He ran a restaurant, a bar, a nightclub, and a post office on the island. The Italian government didn’t like this, seized control of the island, and literally blew it up the next year.