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TIL that a Roman goldsmith may have discovered aluminum metal 1800 years before modern chemists did, but Emperor Tiberius had the discoverer killed in order to ensure the metal would not diminish the value of his own gold and silver assets

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1amYD TIL Many believe the reason periodical cicadas emerge in broods at 13 or 17 year intervals (both prime numbers), it reduces the risk of predators or competitors syncing their life cycles
XEwAE TIL that in 1948, one of the deadliest earthquakes of all time occurred in The Soviet Union, killing 110,000 people; two thirds of an entire cities population
b9BY4 TIL that Manta Rays live in groups of friends that are not necessarily family, a behavior very rare in nature
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exAg TIL Russia was founded by swedish vikings.