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TIL after reading a book about Araucanía, Antoine de Tounens decided to become its king. He spent two years learning Spanish and when he arrived in Araucanía the local chiefs elected him as their Supreme Chieftain. He reigned until he was imprisoned by Chilean invaders, who declared him insane

NZdP TIL of the Tunguska Event. 106 years ago today, an unexplained explosion toppled some 80 million trees over an area of 830 square miles in central Russia. The energy of the explosion was estimated to be ~1000x greater than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
QJRW9 TIL the Zildjian Company—the world's largest producer of cymbals—was founded in 1623 by Avedis Zildjian, an Armenian alchemist in Constantinople who ended up making a cymbal instead of gold. Now based in Massachusetts, the company is still being run by the 14th generation of Zildjian's descendants.
prQZ TIL that all non-Africans are part Neanderthal, and you can get DNA testing to tell you how much Neanderthal you are as well as your ancestral lineage, and any potential genetic health problems.
WkexY TIL "Chasing Amy" was originally supposed to be a Clueless-type teen comedy set in a high school with Ethan Suplee as one of the main characters. Instead, Mallrats (1995) bombed at the box office, forcing Kevin Smith to write the film's premise and setting.
OG554 TIL about Mercy dog’s. In WWI and later wars, these dogs were trained to give aid or comfort dying soldiers on battlefields after confrontations.