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TIL Pope Benedict VIII condemned cats as evil and had them burned by the thousands. This led to an explosion of the rat population and attributed to the effects of the Black Death

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Pw8n TIL that LEGO also manufactured “non-brick” wooden toys under BILOfix brand. Their wooden toy factory was burnt down twice: first in the 1940s and second in 1960 when the lightning struck it. After this, the team decided to focus on the production of plastic construction sets instead.
PYv1G TIL Jack Sheppard was an 18th Century London burglar who became a celebrity for escaping custody four times. His life inspired several plays, leading to Brecht and Weill's "Threepenny Opera" in 1928
0Ojp TIL The CIA have released all their documents on UFOs
rN41d TIL the dolls in Disney's It's A Small World rides get haircuts once a year. The yarn used for their hair absorbs moisture and lengthens over time.
b9On0 TIL of the Watermelon War, a riot in Panama City (1856) which started because a drunken American wouldn't pay 5 cents for a slice of watermelon. It led to the death of 15 Americans and 2 Panamanians.