› added 7 years ago

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TIL that there was a successful chess-playing machine called "The Turk" constructed in late 18th century. Its secret, a chess master inside, wasn't revealed for almost a century.

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kObje TIL there are just three places in the world where a boat can row under a train ridden under a car driven under an airplane: the BU Bridge in Boston, MA, the Steel Bridge in Portland, OR, and the 25 de Abril Bridge in Lisbon, Portugal.
YpoR7 TIL Jim Henson originally wanted the Muppets to be for adults and didn't see his characters as a vehicle for children's education and family entertainment. Indeed, he first envisioned something closer to South Park rather than Sesame Street and in the 1950s they did dark comedy in commercials.
E1jV TIL When Julius Caesar was captured and held hostage by pirates, he told them he would crucify them all personally. The pirates took it as a joke, but when the ransom was paid, Caesar raised a fleet, captured the pirates, and crucified them.
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