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TIL that officer Ronald Speirs, just after being assigned commander of the E Company in January 1945 during the battle of Foy, ran through the German-occupied town and lines, linked up with the I Company soldiers on the other part of town and then proceeded to run back through without a scratch.

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69XDY TIL that there are only 20 ancient lakes (defined as carrying water for more than a million years) in the world, with only 3 in North America (Tahoe, Tule, Pingualuk). Nearly all are tectonic (i.e. rift zones) in origin, however 2 are from meteorite craters (Pingualuk in Canada, Bosumtwi in Ghana)
wLWp8 TIL that the classic movie portrayal of a crowded asteroid belt where the asteroids are only metres apart is inaccurate. In reality the average distance between asteroids is around 965,000 km (600,000 miles) and if you were to fly through it, a collision would be unlikely.
bgX9 TIL that São Paulo, the world’s fourth largest metropolis, banned all outdoor advertising with no ill effect. “The law is now so popular that some companies that were able through legal action to maintain some outdoor presence chose not to, so as not to be seen as flying in the face of [it]”
9Vjr TIL that marijuana is technically illegal in Amsterdam, the law enforcement simply turns a blind-eye to the “coffee shops” that sell it.
8rbK TIL that there is an act called the “Read the Bills Act,” that would require the U.S. Congress to read the legislation of a bill before they vote on it. It has been in limbo since 2006.