› added 11 years ago

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TIL that in 1977 McDonalds had to pay the creators of H.R. Pufnstuf more than $1,000,000 for essentially ripping off the TV show when the restaurant created its McDonaldland characters (Mayor McCheese, Big Mac, Hamburglar etc…)

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X8dD TIL about Hoda Sharaawi, founder of the Egyptian Feminist Union. She became famous when in 1923 she removed her veil in public, causing outrage with authorities.
awpXo TIL that the question of if a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable made it to the Supreme Court in the case Nix v. Hedden (1893). They decided that, for tariff purposes, it is a vegetable.
E1d5w TIL that when filming Rosemary's Baby, Roman Polanski filmed Mia Farrow walking into real new york traffic. When Farrow was reluctant, he pointed to her pregnancy padding "no one's going to hit a pregnant woman." The scene was shot with Farrow walking into real traffic and Polanski following.
8aoWZ TIL in 2004 there were more British free range and organic eggs being sold than could ever possibly be laid in UK farms. After delivery drivers began suspecting that the "industrial eggs" they delivered were being relabeled, investigators found that Keith Owen had sold 100m mislabeled eggs
R7vg4 TIL Silly String was invented to be used as an aerosol spray to create an instant cast on broken and sprained bones. It worked, but while testing nozzles it was noticed it produced a 30' string. This inspired the inventor to change the formula to be less sticky, add color, and market it as a toy.