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TIL Back when the NYC Subway used tokens, people called “token suckers” would jam token slots with paper and suck out stuck tokens with their mouths. To prevent this, some attendants would sprinkle chili powder into the slots.

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grlGA TIL that in the late 1800s, many farmers in the American midwest believed that strong vibrations in the air helped rainclouds form, akin to shaking the branches of a wet tree. This led many to set off dynamite explosives at high altitudes in order to bring rain for their crops.
gJ6y TIL on May 23rd, 1967 the U.S. air force was set to initiate a nuclear strike against Russia after a sudden disruption of their radar detection systems. They were ordered to stand down after the then recently created Solar Forecasting Center determined that solar flares had caused the disruption
9YyXM TIL that back in the day, people used to apply just soap on themselves without washing it off. But since it had a bad smell, the idea of washing it off surfaced.
QJlXd TIL in 1946, a black WWII veteran was taking a bus home in uniform, and asked the driver to stop for a bathroom break. The driver called the police, and the local chief of police arrested the man, beat him, and gouged out his eyes with a nightstick. The officer was acquitted by an all-white jury.
mx49p TIL that in Avatar: The Last Airbender, "The Boulder" was voiced by WWE Legend Mick Foley, after they were unable to get The Rock, who the "The Boulder" was based on.