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TIL on August 25, 1914, in retaliation for Belgium’s guerrilla tactics in defending their country, German troops burned Leuven’s University Library, destroying hundreds of thousands of irreplaceable medieval-period books, manuscripts, and treasures.

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oJK8 TIL that upon their return to Earth, the Apollo 11 crew were quarantined in a special facility for 21 days just in case they were bringing back any moon germs.
4ypb TIL that the Joint Chiefs of Staff planned a series of terrorist attacks on US cities, and wanted to blame Cuba, so they could invade it (more links in the comments).
mxwDP TIL Differences in traits between wheat-growing north and the rice-farming south of China. Northerners were more direct and less concerned with social conformity than Southerners, who were more "interdependent, holistic-thinking and fiercely loyal to their friends" attributed to climate differences.
a5xN TIL Both Benjamin Franklin and Napoleon Bonaparte played, and we’re beaten by a, chess robot. The robot toured the world, beating masters and novices alike. However, in reality it was just a man in a box.
0wlWj TIL Current theory is Venus initially spun anticlockwise. In a way, still does, but upside down. It flipped its axis 180 degrees at some point. Theory: Sun's gravitational pull on Venus' atmosphere caused strong atmospheric tides that combined w/ friction between Venus' mantle and core, flipping it.