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TIL Wally Amos, of Famous Amos cookies, was also the host of an adult learning program, Learn to Read on PBS in the late ‘80s. He has been advocating and promoting literacy for nearly his entire life.

epnXD TIL Kentucky statesman Henry Clay made the first known import of Hereford cattle into the United States in 1817: 1 cow, 1 bull and 1 heifer. The shipment cost him $500. Cattle descended from those Herefords were dubbed "Seventeens" in reference to the year they were brought to the US.
rR1eM TIL that when Coolio was asked to work on the soundtrack for “Dangerous Minds”, Stevie Wonder allowed him to use the instrumental and chorus samples from his song “Pastime Paradise” only if Coolio agreed to not include any profanity. Coolio said yes and the masterpiece “Gangstas Paradise” was born.
p8Abb TIL the Chinese besieged Alexandria Eschate, on of the cities that Alexander the Great had founded during his campaign. The city was attacked by the order of the emperor Wu Han in 102 B.C. and its capture stabilized Chinese expansion in the West contributing to opening up the Silk Road later on.
eYdE TIL that Russia’s answer to Eurovision was called Intervision and it was judged by Electricity Grid Voting: “Those watching at home had to turn their lights on when they liked a song and off when they didn’t, with data from the electricity network then being used to allocate points”
R5Ng6 TIL Canada has a special postal code for Santa Claus’s address