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TIL that a UK man found a way to earn money off telemarketers who were constantly calling him. In 2011 he set up his own personal 0871 line - so to call him now costs money to the caller. Every time a bank, gas or electricity supplier asked him for his details, he submits it as his contact number.

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via reddit.com

vPR1j TIL during the 1990's, Volkswagen sold three special editions of the Golf as part of sponsoring three rock bands' European tours: The Golf Pink Floyd Edition, the Golf Rolling Stones Edition, and the Golf Bon Jovi Edition.
ynew TIL A Japanese farmer discovered a gold seal while repairing an irrigation ditch in 1784. The seal turned out to be 95% pure gold and was a gift from the Chinese Emperor to a Japanese envoy from 54 CE, the earliest recorded date of contact between the two countries
kOgRe TIL that the term Freelancer, commonly used for a person who is self-employed or not committed to a particular employer, was originally use to describe a medieval mercenary knight (ie a knight who's lance was not sworn to any lord's services).
XD4P TIL Bill W, founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, took LSD after being sober for decades and “developed a plan to have LSD distributed at all AA meetings nationwide”
d8DOd TIL male fruit flies drink away pain of rejection. Males who had been rejected and who'd gotten lucky had the option of eating normal food or food spiked with alcohol. While the happy/lucky fruit flies had no preference, the rejected fruit flys were far more likely to eat the alcohol-infused food.