› added 12 years ago

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TIL the word “frenemies” dates as far back as 1953, when it appeared in print referring to US/Soviet relations.

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nWWjd TIL that in 1985, First Lady Elena Ceaușescu demanded the Piața Romană metro station be removed because she thought "the workers and students were getting fat and needed more exercise". However, the engineers realized the station would be necessary so they built it in secret anyway.
6EGWm TIL The giant silverware company Oneida Limited started out as a 19th century free love comune. Both older men and women were chosen to be sexual mentors to adolescent members of the opposite sex. And they also made silverware.
RPjw TIL of Agloe, a town that was made up by map-makers for copyright purposes. Then a store was built there and the owners called it the Agloe General Store, based on the name on their map. Because a store was built there, the fake town was regarded as real decades after the store went out of business.
ynYe TIL that in the Battle of Asal Uttar (1965 Indo-Pakistan war), the Indian army let the Pakistan army think they had retreated, and then flooded the sugarcane fields they camping in overnight, causing the Pakistan tanks sink into the mud. The Pakistan army lost 100 tanks against India’s 10.
dNWE TIL China is building a national database which “gamifies” being an obedient citizen. Sesame Credit analyzes your social media posts, and even your online purchases, then gives you a numerical rating similar to a credit score. This system will become mandatory in 2020.