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TIL August 24 is the anniversary of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the devastation of Pompeii (79 A.D.). The city was buried under 14 to 17 feet of ash and pumice, and would not be rediscovered again until 1748.

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OG447 TIL Lady Jane Dudley, known as the "Nine Days' Queen," briefly held the throne of England and Ireland from July 10 to 19, 1553, before being executed.
j6ARM TIL Atlantic Productions, using two remotely operated submersible vehicles, collected 16 terabytes worth of high resolution images over a six week scanning period and used the data in order to create the world's most accurate and detailed 3D model of the Titanic
vp6x TIL Cashews are sold shell-less because they are a member of the same family as poison ivy and contain an oily chemical called urushiol, a strong irritant that can be fatal if ingested. Cashews are removed from the shells and roasted at high temperatures, steamed or boiled in oils.
N7pP1 TIL about Cyrus the Great (c. 600–530 BC), who built the Persian empire (c. 550–330 BC) by respecting the people he conquered, putting an end to slavery in all his territory, and allowing all people (including Jews) to worship their own gods.
KQZ6 TIL Father Damien, a Catholic Priest, volunteered to help an island leper colony, saying “I make myself a leper to be with the lepers.” There he turned shacks into painted houses, cultivated farms, and started schools. Doing so he contracted leprosy himself. He was canonized a saint in 2009.