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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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5VPJP TIL Simpsons writer Brent Forrester went to Lollapalooza as research for the episode Homerpalooza. He had a horrible experience which inspired several jokes for the episode: cameras being siezed and thrown in the trash, a freak show, and at one point a stranger asked him, "How's it going, narc?"
rNAb4 TIL that scientists created a 60 year long experiment in Siberia, selectively breeding wild foxes who showed friendly traits. 40 generations later they were as friendly as dogs!
BNyd TIL Tolkien’s son hates The Lord of the Rings movies
v1njD TIL canine teeth are also referred to as “eye teeth”, due to their alignment under the eyes
D1Gpe TIL that John Smith, the Jamestown colonist rescued by Pocahontas, spent his early life as a mercenary and pirate. He was eventually captured by the Ottomans and sold into slavery. He made his way back to England and became a colonist after escaping into Russia.