› added 9 years ago

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TIL a 14yo Syrian boy who ran away from home to join ISIS soon became disillusioned after seeing the conduct of the other fighters. To escape the group, he volunteered to act as a suicide bomber, but instead of activated the explosives he turned himself in to Iraqi authorities.

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via reddit.com

bel4 TIL that the “Green Flash” as seen in the Pirates of the Caribbean film is a real phenomenon.
x64Oo TIL Jimmy Carter was the first president to be born in a hospital
X7ED TIL that the Dead Marshes in the Lord of the Rings were most likely inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s involvement in WW1. Bomb craters would fill up with rain and dead soldiers from both sides could be seen floating inside the craters.
j6BgE TIL that the U.S. Merchant Marines had the highest casualty rate of any U.S. service branch in WWII. Even so, survivors were denied veterans benefits until 1988.
A6gn TIL around Halloween in 2012, Hurricane Sandy upended a giant oak tree in New Haven. In the roots of the tree were several skeletons from the 18th century and a forgotten 100-year-old time capsule.