Finland World War II ceded land industrial capacity independence

Finland lost territory to the Soviet Union but remained independent

12% of its land

Finland fought two wars against the Soviet Union during World War II and ultimately ceded significant territory, including much of Karelia. Hundreds of thousands of people had to leave their homes. Despite these losses and later restrictions on its foreign policy, Finland avoided Soviet occupation and retained its democratic institutions and independence.

Gravity wins at large scales even though electricity is much stronger

Electric forces between charged particles are far stronger than gravity. But large objects such as planets usually contain nearly equal amounts of positive and negative charge, so most of their electric effects cancel out. Gravity does not cancel this way, so it dominates across large distances.

An epidemic killed most Native Americans in Massachusetts Bay

About 90%

Between 1617 and 1619, an epidemic killed about 90% of Native Americans in the Massachusetts Bay region. The disease was most likely smallpox, amid outbreaks brought by European colonists.

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Finland World War II ceded land industrial capacity independence

Finland lost territory to the Soviet Union but remained independent

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