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TIL that during the first 4 days after the United Kingdom entered World War II, over 400,000 dogs and cats — some 26 percent of London’s pets — were voluntarily put to death by their owners without any Government direction, due to fears that they could not be properly cared for during the war.

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AD78x TIL the people of St. Pauli, Hamburg, were sick of their district smelling like urine because of nightclub patrons relieving themselves on the street. So they painted the buildings with special paint that repels water so forcefully public urinators end up peeing on themselves.
WAmd TIL That whilst hiding out at Leatherslade Farm the robbers involved in executing The Great Train Robbery, played Monopoly with the real money they had just stolen; leaving incriminating fingerprints on the board game which led to the arrest and imprisonment of most of the gang
wL6JY TIL Oscar nominated actor Lew Ayres declared himself a conscientious objector and served as a medic in WWII. He donated all of the money he earned as a serviceman to the American Red Cross.
JLvB TIL last year California legislators passed a law that requires smartphones sold after July 1, 2015 to have a remote kill switch built into them.
nerjY TIL that in the 1922 silent movie Nosferatu, Count Orlok (Max Schreck) only blinks once in the movie.