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TIL the song “Buffalo Gals” was likely written in 1844 by a blackface minstrel nicknamed Cool White.

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jNK9v TIL under President Reagans directive, the United States (via the CIA) funneled more than $2 billion in guns and money to the mujaheddin (which became the Taliban) during the 1980s to defeat and remove the Soviets in Afghanistan. It was the largest covert action program since World War II.
yvpV TIL Gloria Ramirez, later dubbed “The Toxic Lady” was admitted to Riverside General Hospital due to advanced cervical cancer. The medical staff that came in contact with her body and blood soon started fainting, requiring an evacuation. The cause of the faintings has not been found yet.
MevrW TIL that spies can eavesdrop on a conversation from hundreds of feet away, just by watching a light bulb’s vibrations through a telescope.
rRG4W TIL that Leprosy doesn't cause body parts to be damaged or fall off. Instead, the disease damages one's ability to feel pain, causing common accidents to become more damaging. In addition to this, leprosy is only mildly contagious and more than 95% of the world's population are naturally immune.
neNGd TIL that Viagra can help make flowers stand straight up for a week past their natural lifespan