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TIL that in 1930, the Soviet Union built a plant to make polybutadiene, a synthetic rubber used for tires, out of ethanol from potatoes

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PYZ8J TIL that in 1987, Ruud Gullit won the Ballon d'Or and dedicated the trophy to Nelson Mandela, who was in jail at the time. When people criticized him for taking a political stance, he explained that to him, it wasn't about politics, but simply a human decision
Wkjvo TIL the Swiss Federal Railways’ centralised lost and found service is still seeking the owner of a packet of gold bars worth CHF182k (since Oct '19). The most valuable misplaced object on their trains, however, remains a 1727 Stradivarius violin in 2012, estimated to be worth CHF2.6 million.
KOYWw TIL Java is the most populated island in the world with over 140 million people. The population of Java accounts for ~57% of the population of Indonesia, which is the 4th most populous country in the world.
neGD7 TIL about an octopus named Otto who caused a power outage by shooting water at the 2000 watt spotlight over his tank which was seemingly annoying him. Otto is an interesting octopus who has also been caught juggling hermit crabs, throwing rocks at the glass and re-arranging the contents of his tank
9YR4r TIL that the seven-colour rainbow flag is used by many cultures and movements - the native people of the Andes, the city of Cusco (Peru), the Jewish Autonomous Oblast (a Russian region bordering China), the shrine of Indian guru Meher Baba, and the international peace movement