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TIL that the St. Patrick's Day tradition of dyeing the Chicago river green arose by accident when a group of plumbers used green dye to trace illegal substances that were polluting the river. The dyeing of the river is still sponsored by the local plumbers union.

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veOK TIL that in college, Theodor Seuss Geisel was caught drinking gin with his friends; as a result, his dean insisted he resign from the college magazine. To continue working on the magazine without the dean’s knowledge, he began signing his work with “Seuss,” which he later changed to “Dr. Seuss.”
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