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TIL 40 papyri from 150-99 BC found in Egypt form an archive recording 3 generations of a common soldier's family. Personal letters, divorce papers, contracts andwills tell of his emmigration from Crete, his marriages, career and death, as well as the life of his daughter, her 4 siblings and her kids

b9VKZ TIL before asbestos was seen as hazardous, a Han dynasty general had a jacket made from it. He would pretend to spill wine on it at dinners. Then he'd throw it into a fire and pull it out to show it was still intact to impress his guests.
jNxNR TIL an Ox is just a Bull that's made to work as a draught animal and is not a separate species.
N7NaQ TIL about Dr.Beatrice 'Tilly' Shilling who, during the Battle of Britain, invented a device preventing fighter planes engines from shutting down during negative G maneuvers. The device became known as "Miss Shilling's orifice".
oRmE8 TIL Alex Ovechkin was such a highly regarded NHL prospect that the Florida Panthers attempted to draft him in the 9th round of the 2003 draft, despite the fact that he was born two days after the eligibility cutoff date. The Panthers argued he should be eligible taking leap years into consideration.
oggr TIL the lead singer of Toto, Joseph Williams, was the writer of the original English lyrics for the song performed by Jabba the Hutt’s palace band in the original 1983 release of “Return of the Jedi,” which was scored and conducted by his father John Williams.