› added 10 years ago

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TIL: Detroit gave Saddam Hussein a key to the city this day 35 years ago

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ne60W TIL In 1952, Tony the Tiger won a popularity contest against three other characters — Katy the Kangaroo, Elmo the Elephant, and Newt the Gnu — to become the new Frosted Flakes mascot.
xgG7 TIL Japan offered to waive MagLev license fees, as well as offer up to $4.4B to help bring the MagLev trains to the US
WkRLN TIL that Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s grandfather made his fortune by smuggling opium from China, calling it a “fair, honorable and legitimate trade”
ZnZa TIL the state of Kuwait is banned from the Olympics due to government legislation that permits the state to interfere in elections of sporting organizations. As a result, Kuwaiti athletes compete as independent athletes under the Olympic Flag instead of their own flag.
01Mp TIL that in 2001, Mark Rich received a presidential pardon after refusing to pay $48 million in taxes. He had made substantial donations to the president’s wife’s political campaign. President Carter called it the most disgraceful pardon in US history.