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TIL By 1960 rail transport was so dominant in the USSR was hauling about half of all railway freight in the world (in tonne-km) and they did this on a rail system consisting of 10% of the world's railway length.

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OomLL TIL Natives in Canada had a traditional gift giving holiday nearly identical to Christmas called Potlatch until it was outlawed for being unchristian, hundreds of natives were sent to prison for continuing to celebrate it from 1921 until the law was finally repealed in the 1950s.
0wVoR TIL Kings of Leon wrote a chorus with the filler lyrics "My sex is on fire," intended only as a placeholder while they tried to come up with something better, but they never did
wLBy6 TIL: Ceiling Fans have a directional switch (counter-clockwise & clockwise) that are meant for Warm & Colder Seasonal Months to benefit wind direction and how to stay cool during the summer months.
LD0Q TIL that the Sochi Olympics takes place right on top of areas that are claimed to be mass graves of the Circassians (Adyghe) people, massacred there by the Russians in the 1860s. One site is actually called “Red Hill” because of all of the blood spilt on it…
b9a50 TIL checked bags used to be free. US Airlines started charging fees due to after-effects of the 2008 recession and they’re staying now mainly because the public has largely accepted the fees.