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TIL that in 2006, paleontologists officially named a dinosaur Dracorex hogwartsia, meaning "Dragon King of Hogwarts." The skull’s spiky appearance reminded them of the dragons described in the Harry Potter books. However, later research suggested it likely wasn’t a separate species.

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9YOYD TIL "Weird Al" Yankovic got a telegram from Prince's management company saying that he was not to establish eye contact, during a show.
9VoB TIL that the urban legend of carrots giving night vision was invented as a cover-up by the British RAF in WWII. They were able to shoot down German planes at night using radar; rather than letting the enemy know about their technology, they claimed it was carrots that gave the gunners night vision
GAxD5 TIL That an Irish woman attempted to murder Italian Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini in 1926, armed with a revolver, she aimed at Mussolini's head but a sudden head movement saved him at the last second, with the bullet only managing to wound his nose.
m15Zp TIL there is a very small (9-inch-tall) aluminum pyramid on the very top of the Washington Monument, because at the time it was completed, aluminum was considered more precious than gold or silver
yQX5v TIL that when an explosion's shockwave travels slower than sound, it is considered a deflagration, not a detonation.