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TIL the pineapple became a sign of hospitality during America's colonial era. The exotic fruit was an expensive treat originally served to only the most-honored guest. Towns, inns and individual households began displaying images of the fruit in order to convey a sense of welcoming.

4BVo TIL that Weird Al Yankovic always asks permission to do a parody from the original artist, even though, under the Fair Use Act, he is not legally required to do so.
Oo7gX TIL slow TV, very long coverage of mundane, ordinary events, is huge in Norway. The national broadcaster NRK has regularly shown programmes such as a 376 hr boat voyage, 60 hrs of choirs singing, and 12 hrs of knitting. Shorter shows include a lecture on Norway's past 200 years in 200 minutes.
YplJr TIL architect Alejandro Echeverri was approached by the mayor of Medellin, one of the most dangerous cities in the world, to revitalize the city. He focused on building in the poorest areas first to bring people and infrastructure into these neighborhoods. Crime dropped substantially.
7jrX TIL Fox ran a contest for fans to guess Who Shot Mr. Burns and win a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be animated in the show. The ‘winner’ actually got the answer wrong, didn’t watch the Simpsons and took cash instead of being animated.
E1a9P TIL that in 1963 researchers irradiated the testicles of over 100 prisoners in Washington and Oregon. When the inmates were released and had children, some had birth defects but the exact number is unknown because there was no adequate follow-up study.