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TIL the Grandfather Clause. After the American Civil War, South States made literacy tests to prevent former black slaves from voting. When whites failed them too, an exception was given to anyone whose Grandfather was eligible to vote. All whites had eligible grandfathers and few blacks did.

R7KN4 TIL Panasonic attempted to develop a video game console with 3DO. The console was initially announced as an add-on chip for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer and later unveiled as a standalone console. Ultimately the project was cancelled but the technology was used in some arcade boards and kiosks.
X0Xek TIL lobsters pee out of their faces from underneath their eyes and into each other's faces. They do this to communicate, before a fight, or to initiate some hot sexy lobster time.
9YQp7 TIL Oxford Deans called their Head Woodsman noticing decaying oak beams built in 1460 to see if there was any oak to replace them. He said "We've been waiting for you to ask about that" - A grove of oak trees was planted with the specific purpose of replacing them hundreds of years later.
kKRd TIL A few days before delivering the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln saw John Wilkes Booth perform as a villain in a play at Ford’s Theatre. Someone told Lincoln, “He almost seems to be reciting these lines to you.” To which Lincoln replied, “He does talk very sharp at me, doesn’t he?”
wLA57 TIL that during cold war, CIA conducted a $350 million cost secret project in 1974 called Project Azorian to recover a soviet submarine K-129 sunken in 1968 in the Pacific Ocean. It recovered only 1/3rd of the submarine, but the research lead to great advances in deep ocean drilling and mining.