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TIL By skillful shmoozing(diplomacy), Benjamin Franklin managed to convince the French Court and King Louis XVI to massively support the American Revolution create a Republic; which, in turn virtually bankrupted France and helped lead to the French Revolution....and Louis' demise.

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ADkPw TIL that Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin and Hobbes, has steadfastly refused to license the characters for any other reason than publishing. This included turning down an offer from Pixar for a Calvin and Hobbes film.
oBQRY TIL there are only 15 countries (sovereign states, not dependencies) in the world without official armed forces. Out of these, 12 are islands. Only Andorra, Vatican City, and Liechtenstein are located on mainland. The largest population is held by the Solomon Islands with a little over 650,000.
9wgy6 TIL that from 1794-1796, King George III was king of the Anglo-Corsican Kingdom, which was captured during the French Revolutionary Wars and had a democratic constitution and elected parliament
a8NGL TIL Door knobs that are made out of brass can disinfect itself in about 8 hours.
dxDd TIL of the 20,000 Japanese soldiers fighting in the Battle of Iwo Jima in WWII, only 1,083 survived.