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TIL that in 1939, African-American singer Marian Anderson was denied permission to perform at Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution. The Hall had a white performers-only policy. Anderson responded by giving an open-air concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

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gM5GD TIL that the furthest detected individual star is 14.4 billion light years from Earth. We can detect it from so far away because gravity from objects between us and the star have warped its light, magnifying it 2000 times and focusing the star's light onto Earth for telescopes to pick up.
OoNee TIL Jeff Bezos sends '?' emails to his employees to "keep them on their toes."
xxWk TIL de Lafayette “hero of two world’s” was invited by Pres. Monroe to go on a 3 month tour visiting every state in the US in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the US, he was met by cheering crowds everywhere, and brought Thomas Jefferson to tears at their reunion.
NnXb TIL that a popular stuffed polar bear, located at Science Museum of Minnesota, was killed after being beaten to death by vandals at a local zoo.
awMRL TIL The UK and US versions of Dennis the Menace are completely unrelated but by a remarkable coincidence both debuted on the same day; 12 March 1951.