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TIL that on December 24, 1968, the crew of Apollo 8 broadcast themselves reciting the first ten verses of the book of Genesis. The founder of American Atheists sued the US government for violation of the First Amendment, but the Supreme Court dismissed the case due to lack of jurisdiction.

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OMJ4 TIL a POW named Charlie Cavendish told Swiss inspectors of the awful conditions that they were living in. He knew that the SS would kill him for doing so, but continued anyway to save his fellow men, which he did. Cavendish was missing at roll call the next day and was never seen again.
kPRm TIL Clint Eastwood directed two movies “Letters from Iwo-Jima” and “Flags Of Our Fathers” that featured the same battle but from opposite perspectives.
VBgpZ TIL of Viktor Belenko, the Soviet pilot who defected with the MiG-25 (most advanced Soviet interceptor of its time), who initially assumed that his CIA handlers were keeping him in an elaborate tourist trap made to impress foreigners because he couldn't comprehend the sheer abundance he was seeing.
dDLeB TIL the phrase “growing the beard” describes when a show improves in quality. It comes from Star Trek: The Next Generation, where Season 2’s stronger storytelling coincided with Riker growing a beard, a look Gene Roddenberry approved and fans embraced as a sign the series had matured.
Lkvyp TIL that the term "nuclear family" traces its origins as far back as 1925; it did not originate in 1989 with the premiere of The Simpsons.