› added 7 years ago

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TIL about the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement. Tobacco companies will pay States based off of their tobacco sales volume. In return, the States will grant Tobacco companies immunity from any death or injury related lawsuits. This also created the Truth Initiative.

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0w8Pj TIL that TV show Top Gear conducted an extreme test of a Toyota pickup truck by leaving it on a beach to be taken by the tide, leaving it on top of a highrise building that was demolished, and setting it on fire. It still ran after being repaired with only the tools in the truck's toolbox.
XEZLj TIL: Beethoven was not a prodigy as Mozart was and had shown no special abilities or intelligence in his childhood. Even later in his twenties, when he moved to Vienna he had a late start, no report from his early days mentioning him as unique talent or a possible successor of Mozart, Haydn.
NXaD6 TIL about The United States 100,000 bill, the largest denomination note in the story of the USA which was issued from 1934 to 1935. And although 42,000 were printed, only 12 remain in existence and it's illegal to own one.
yNXp TIL Elvis Costello was so appalled by the price his label set for a 2011 box set of his that he told all his fans not to buy it.
6EQ5Z TIL of Russia's "Dead Hand" (aka "Perimeter") automated nuclear defense system. If a large spike in radiation levels was picked up within Russian borders (indicating nuclear detonation), the system would target many different cities and launch nukes. It is believed to still be active.