› added 4 years ago

321

TIL that tamales were once as popular across America as hamburgers and hotdogs. And the height of their popularity was known as The Tamale Wars, as vendors at times were so competitive that it caused murders, riots, and shoot outs.

Read more atlasobscura.com

via reddit.com

XExkP TIL that the Federal Reserve Bank pays only about 7.7 cents for each dollar bill printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, but that it must pay face value for each coin (penny, nickel, dime, quarter) produced by the U.S. Mint.
eYk5 TIL British journalist Lanre Fehintola voluntarily got addicted to Heroin in order to help him understand the lifestyle he was writing about. Last heard of him, he is still battling the addiction.
wM8M TIL The first mention of Muhammad in the West comes from a discussion between Byzantine Christian and Jew written shortly after Muhammad’s death in 632. It says,“He is deceiving. For do prophets come with sword and chariot?You will discover nothing true from the said prophet except human bloodshed”
x6LXg TIL that Ugandan dictator Idi Amin's full title was "His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, CBE, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular"
jNjkN TIL the original Pong game created by Al Alcorn had a glitch that would make the paddles on both sides not go all the way to the top. This was due to a defect in the circuit. Alcorn wanted to fix it but decided it was important because two good players would have played forever if it had been fixed.