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TIL the "Mario Bros" song was inspired by a song called "Sister Marian" (1984)

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d8x99 TIL the flags of many African nations have the colors green, gold and red borrowed from the flag of Ethiopia, which remained outside European control during the colonial era by defeating Italy. As a result, the country drew the admiration of many newly independent states in Africa.
BgLvW TIL police radio codes like 10-4 for affirmative all start with 10 to allow time for the radio to power up. The first syllable spoken of a transmission was often not understood due to early technology quirks. Officers were trained to wait after pressing the receiver but forgot when rushed.
R7XlQ TIL David Lucas, a producer of the 1976 rock hit "Don't Fear The Reaper", really did want more cowbell, while band members felt he was crazy. In a 2005 interview, the bassist recalled that the cowbell "really pulled the track together".
nD7B TIL one of the leading advocates of circumcision was John Harvey Kellogg, inventor of the famous breakfast cereal. He advocated the consumption of Kellogg’s corn flakes to prevent masturbation, and he believed that circumcision would be an effective way to eliminate masturbation in males.
e0KBg TIL that one of history's most successful pirates was a Chinese prostitute named Ching Shih. She commanded a fleet of over 1,500 ships and 80,000 sailors.