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TIL that because the V2 rocket was fueled by drinking alcohol, during its development technicians would often drink the fuel, causing significant delays

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wLwpJ TIL one day Isaac Newton was asked by his colleagues why planets’ orbits are elliptical. He couldn’t answer so he went home and started thinking about it. A while later he invented differential and integral calculus, which he then used to answer the question.
woAQW TIL that, in 1947, there was a proposal to create an independent united Bengali state instead of partitioning Bengal between India and Pakistan. It was not accepted, though it did have some support. (In 1971, east Bengal, also known as East Pakistan, acquired its independence as Bangladesh.)
5Yv0D TIL Ben Nyaumbe survived being constricted by an African Rock Python for 3 hours. He bit the snake, smothered it with his shirt, was dragged up a tree by the snake and ultimately was rescued by Law Officials with the help of a rope
GAwG7 TIL of the Acali expedition, a social experiment that aimed to investigate interpersonal relationships in an isolated environment. Nicknamed the "Sex Raft," its participants remained peaceful throughout, even when the researcher tried to incite conflict.
4Xoyb TIL about the Nigerian Civil War, where the US, UK, and the Soviet Union were supporting the same side during the cold war, while China, France, and West Germany were supporting the other side