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TIL the US spent $20 million on a cat equipped to spy on the Soviets during the Cold War but it immediately got hit by a taxi

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R7Kw1 TIL during the forced removal of Native Americans to Oklahoma along the Trail of Tears, many African American slaves were owned by tribes and forced to go as well. After the Civil War, the Freedmen founded their own communities and Oklahoma became home to over 50 All-Black Towns and settlements.
d8ZyB TIL because of a treaty in 1920, there are no alcohol taxes in Svalbard. However alcohol is also rationed there, with residents only allowed 24 cans of beer or 2 litres of hard liquor per month. Locals must present an alcohol card at purchase, while tourists use their boarding pass.
6EkWQ TIL that Canada has entire mountain ranges that have never been explored.
5llB TIL that russian peasants used to practice 6 month periods of psudo hibernation each and every year to stave off starvation and famine. It was called the ‘Winter Sleep’ or 'lotska’.
OGJ9X TIL that Lensey Namioka, born in China, has a name that cannot be written in Chinese. Her linguist father found two Chinese syllables, "len" and "sey", that aren't used in words so don't have Chinese characters. He named his next daughter "Lensey"; she is the only known person with the name.