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TIL that after being excommunicated by the Pope and threatened by the invasion of England by King Phillipe II of France, King John was in negotiations with the Almohad Caliph to convert to Islam in exchange for assistance against his enemies

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XWD TIL Pope Benedict XVI was accused of conspiracy to cover up sexual abuse in the United States, but at the Vatican’s request, president George W. Bush Granted him immunity from prosecution
N5xP TIL In 1904, tea bags were invented accidentally. The inventor, Thomas Sullivan, decided that it was cheaper to send small samples to potential customers in silk bags instead of boxes. The recipients believed they were meant to be dunked and soon Sullivan was flooded with orders for his “tea bags”.
loXjB TIL that reckless driving was so rampant in the early 1900's that many cities held safety parades. Mangled cars with warning signs were towed through streets and thousands of children dressed as ghosts to represent each death that year, followed by grieving mothers who wore stars to show their loss.
bGMj TIL the top speed of the Bugatti Veyron is limited not by the engine, but rather its tires exploding.
rNk1M TIL about Lake Natron in Tanzania, which is so dangerously alkaline thanks to the magmatic limestone from a nearby volcano, any animal that dies and falls in is mummified. The only animals that go there are lesser flamingos, who use it as a mating ground, and even they sometimes die.