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TIL that 2001 A Space Odyssey had such a impact on astronauts that when the Apollo 8 crew were the first men to lay eyes on the far side of the moon they were tempted to radio back and say they saw a large black monolith

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vPXJ8 TIL Sudan has more pyramids than Egypt. After being destroyed and looted, the ones left are at risk of disappearing due to shifting desert sands. Theres a multi-billion dollar project to plant a line of trees across the entire African continent to create ground stability and stop the desert spread.
78Jn7 TIL Byron (Low-Tax) Looper, the Nominee for a seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives, who decided the only way to win was to murder his opponent. Despite being the only person left on the ballot, he still lost the election and was sentenced to life in prison.
NwLN TIL male trees lacking a female mate are often responsible for allergies (the equivalency of “blue balls” in animals, except with super pollination)
VB1YQ TIL The African Island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe has a 500 year tradition of drama called 'Tchiloli', where just one play, the 16th century 'The Tragedy of the Emperor Charlemagne and the Marquis of Mantua' is ever performed.
yQeNX TIL Mill workers in Manchester, England refused to touch slave-picked cotton during the US Civil War. Lincoln wrote a letter of thanks, and relief shipments were sent to the workers. Today, a statue of Lincoln stands in Manchester's Lincoln Square