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TIL Neither John Denver, nor the writers of "Take Me Home, Country Road", had ever been to West Virginia. The road that inspired the song is actually in Maryland, and the landmarks mentioned in the lyrics more aptly describe the western region of Virginia.

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OoJA6 TIL in 1960, an Australian father won nearly $3 million (adjusted AU$) in the lottery, with his picture getting plastered all over the news. Shortly after, his 8-year-old son was kidnapped for ransom and eventually murdered. This changed anonymity laws for lottery winners in Australia forever.
vPXZB TIL San Marino has two heads of state at once (a diarchy). The heads of state, called "Captains Regent" serve 6-month long terms. They currently have the youngest head of state in the world at 27 and have had a more female heads of state than any other nation with 18.
mG0O TIL In 1903, a large pocket of underground gas was found in Dexter, KS. In the hopes of economic prosperity, a celebration was planned. The burning of the gas was to “light the entire countryside for a day and a night,” but it just wouldn’t ignite… and Helium was discovered.
Me7v7 TIL: 92 Russians died for every 1 American in WWII
nWN8r TIL about the Shreveport Rate Case, a SCOTUS case that allowed the federal government to regulate intrastate commerce when it is needed to regulate interstate commerce. It was brought against an interstate railway that charged shipping rates that favored Texan cities, a policy mandated by the state.