› added 5 years ago

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TIL about Charley Ross, a 4-year-old American child whose 1874 kidnapping for ransom (considered the first in US history) became a nationwide sensation. Charley, who was never found, was lured by two men offering candy and fireworks, giving rise to the warning "never take candy from strangers".

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mNoE TIL in feudal Japan, merchants were the lowest class because unlike farmers and artisans, they don’t actually produce anything
P1elZ TIL That the musical guest for the 1981 Halloween episode of Saturday Night Live was the punk band 'Fear'. Invited at the urging of John Belushi the band would see their performance cut short and would be banned from SNL after they and their invited 'dancers' wound up destroying part of the set.
DEZp TIL Finland has a 20-year plan for its country brand. The 365-page government report includes plans to become a silicon valley of social innovations, a land where the lakes are drinkable, and a country that has managed to export its unbeatable education.
Br6Zx TIL that modern military submarines have a rescue buoy that releases during an emergency, and it remains attached to the submarine by a cable. Once on the surface it can indicate to rescuers the position of the submarine, and may include a telephone for communication with the trapped submariners.
D5Nr TIL Patent trolls (more formally non-practicing entities that hold a patent) now account for 61% of all patent litigation (up from 5% 10 years ago), and lose 91% of all cases. Research has said these cases have caused half a trillion, and nearly $80 billion annually, in wealth loss since 1990.