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TIL that from 1958 to 2002 it was tradition for the newly elected French President to pardon traffic offenses for the 6-12 months before the election. President Chirac ended the tradition because of the substantial rise in traffic deaths and injuries it caused.

4GM5 TIL termites are being researched as a possible renewable energy source as they can produce up to 2 litres of hydrogen from ingesting a single sheet of paper, making them one of the planet’s most efficient bioreactors.
9YMDX TIL that in 1508 a French town tried to convict the local rats of destroying their crops, a lawyer successfully defended them by first arguing that court summons must be given to each individual rat and then arguing that it was too dangerous for them to come to the trial due to the cats in the town
6EPdX TIL that snow traps atmospheric nitrogen, then releases it into the ground when it melts, acting as a "poor man's fertilizer"
pYZ8G TIL when filming “Firstborn” (1984), 12-year-old Corey Haim complimented the acting performance of 41-year-old Peter Weller. Weller responded by throwing Haim up against a wall, and demanded Haim to never speak to him after a take. Haim said that he was left terrified by the experience.
VNBk TIL that not all documents of the JFK assassination were released to the public. When questioned about it Chief Justice Earl told reporters that it may not be released in their lifetime. That was more than 50 years ago and in 2017 they will be made public.