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TIL in 1963 Wendell Scott became to first African American to win a Nascar Race. Though being two laps ahead of the other cars, was ignored because the winner was to kiss a white beauty queen. He was awarded the trophy in 2010, 20 years after his death. (More in Comments).

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wLppJ TIL FARC got tricked into giving up their most high profile hostage and 14 others. The Colombian army made up a NGO which would transfer captives by helicopter. Once aboard the chopper, the soldiers revealed the ruse and arrested the militants, freeing all hostages. Not a single shot was fired.
0wE0A TIL Sindberg is virtually unknown in his home country of Denmark but considered a folk hero in China where he is estimated to have saved 20.000 during the Nanjing massacre. Armed only with the Danish flag he held off the Japanese from entering the makeshift shelter he set up in a cement factory.
Y7Kyv TIL Tanya Roberts, who played a bond girl and Donna's mom in That 70's Show, died of a urinary tract infection that advanced to sepsis and multi-organ failure. She noticed the pain while hiking one day and the next day fell out of bed and couldn't get up.
LDnZ TIL that in 1959, the guy who wrote “Louie, Louie” sold the song’s rights for $750 to pay for his wedding. In the mid-80s, he was living on welfare with his mom in South Central LA, when a lawyer convinced him to take action to get the rights back. He settled out of court and became a millionaire.
Qe49 TIL In 1996 NASA generated electricity with a satellite on a 13 mile long wire, released from Space Shuttle. The wire was clearly visible from Earth and was one of the biggest human-made objects in space.