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TIL that 2 rival churches in Vrontados, Greece shoot tens of thousands of fireworks at each other every Easter in a "Rocket War". Both churches then claim victory and agree to settle the score next year. The tradition dates back to the Ottoman era, when real cannons were used instead.

v1oW4 TIL Elizebeth Friedman was a codebreaker whose work helped indict Al Capone during Prohibition. She lead a team in WWII that broke a Nazi spy ring, convincing Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile to leave the Axis and join the Allies. The FBI undermined her, took credit, and tried to erase her from history
WkKNY TIL: In a promotional Volkswagon experiment, one randomized group of subway commuters was given the choice of regular stairs and the escalator while a second group could choose between musical "piano stairs" and an escalator. The piano stairs convinced 66% more people than normal to choose stairs.
j6MkM TIL Longyearbyen, Norway is the world's northernmost settlement with a population greater than 1,000. There is a ban on cats, a monthly alcohol purchase limit, and a requirement to carry a rifle while outside for protection from polar bears.
Zppmv TIL 1941 after a meteor shower two Canadian Inuit announced they were Jesus and God and convinced people to kill their sled dogs since people will soon be able to fly. 9 people ended up losing their lives as a result of the community spread insanity.
rR104 TIL Seattle was the site of a mass collective delusion in the 1950s, when thousands of people thought their cars were being pitted by cosmic rays or sand fleas.