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TIL - Cyprus, a Mediterranean island had its own species of dwarf elephants and hippos

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JKEl TIL the Italian alphabet only has 21 letters. If the letters j, k, w, x or y appear in a word, it is because the word has been borrowed from a different language.
XXND TIL During the Black Death, incoming ships were forced to wait for 40 days to prevent possible infection. The Italian word for 40, “quaranta”, is where we get the word “quarantine”.
yQWav TIL a woman's advanced metastatic breast cancer was cured with an experimental immunotherapy treatment. DNA in Judy Perkins' tumor tissue was analyzed for mutations specific to her cancer; billions of her unique T cells were lab-grown & infused back into her body with the aid of two drugs.
7rOlx TIL Ronnie James Dio claimed to have never received any vocal training. He instead attributed his singing ability to the use of breathing techniques he learned while playing trumpet.
4Xwa TIL a man marooned himself on a remote island and after many years was persuaded to come back to Europe and meet the Pope who granted him one wish which ended up being to go back to the island for the rest of his life