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TIL of Clarence Earl Gideon, who from his prison cell in 1962 wrote and mailed a writ of certiorari to the US Supreme Court. The decision from the resulting case required U.S. states to provide attorneys to criminal defendants who are unable to afford their own, per the 6th and 14th amendments.

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4XkY5 TIL Mike Rowe (of Dirty Jobs fame) received death threats after narrating a Wal-Mart commercial about investing in American manufacturing.
OoYW4 TIL that Vice President Johnson had a fake thermostat control in his state room on Air Force Two that was installed in an effort to stop his coming Into the cockpit and messing with the temperature controls.
xOdb TIL the Supreme Court ruled in 1898 there are only three exceptions to birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment: Those born from foreign leaders or diplomats, on foreign public ships, and from hostile enemy forces occupying US territory.
nPyb TIL One of the first items sold on eBay was a broken laser pointer. When eBay creator, Pierre Omidyar, emailed the person who bought the broken laser pointer for $14.83 ($22.40 today) to make sure he knew it was broken, the man told him “I’m a collector of broken laser pointers.”
1aMmW TIL McDonald's had an offer to give away free big Mac's, French fries and drinks through scratch cards with every medal that USA wins during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. They lost millions of dollars because USSR and it's allies boycotted the event and USA unexpectedly topped the table.