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TIL Apollo astronauts would breathe pure oxygen for several hours before flights in order to avoid getting the bends when the cabin pressure was lowered after liftoff.

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4EZJ TIL in 1982 a Bolivian Drug smuggler’s son was busted in the US. The drug lord sent a letter to Ronald Reagan, proposing that in exchange for his son’s liberty he would pay off Bolivia’s entire foreign debt ($3.8 billion).
OnWL TIL that in 1967 a California teacher, in trying to teach his students how the German public supported the Nazi government during the 1930’s and 1940’s, created a faux-facist student movement to show them facism’s allure. In three days membership jumped from his class of 30 to over 200 students.
Y71wx TIL about a 10 cent beer night for an MLB team that caused fans to be so drunk that they threw firecrackers, openly smoked marijuana, streaked, and eventually rioted the field. The game was forfeited.
OoQO1 TIL Medieval chastity belts are a myth. A great majority of examples now existing were made in the 18th and 19th centuries as jokes.
QJ6kM TIL 17% of Poland's population was killed during WW2