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Today I learned that many of the men who acted as guards along the Great Wall of China in the Middle Ages spent their whole lives there. They were born there, raised there, they married there, died there, and were even buried within the wall.

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wLjE8 TIL that most stars exist in binary or triple star systems. It is hypothesized that up to 85% of stars are gravitationally bound to another star in a multiple star system. Therefore, solitary stars (such as the Sun) are actually not the norm in the universe, but in fact are a rarity.
DKrr TIL that after dividing Poland with Nazi Germany, Joseph Stalin ordered the “liquidation” of the Polish officer corps in 1940, resulting in the mass execution of over 25,000 Poles in what came to be known as the Katyn Massacre.
5VeoR TIL until the early 1970s, funeral homes in the US doubled as ambulance services. If you were hurt or sick, you’d probably be transported to the hospital in a hearse.
aZKL TIL that humans can generally detect their parents, children, and siblings (but not spouses, half-siblings, and stepchildren/step-parents) by smell, and females prefer sexual partners with a different smell than their own. Scientists believe this is an evolved defense against incest.
jMop TIL NASCAR Legend Dale Earnhardt, along with many other NASCAR drivers, resisted use of the HANS device when it was introduced. The HANS was developed specifically to help prevent Basilar skull fractures common to car racing. Earnhardt later died after suffering this exact injury.