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TIL A German man spent years in a mental institution for claiming that his ex-wife and the bank where she worked were involved in a massive money laundering scheme. The accusations turned out to be true, and the plot to have him committed was part of a conspiracy to silence him.

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d8dP7 TIL grasshoppers that live near a road evolve to call at a higher pitch than more rural grasshoppers so as to be heard over the traffic. This increases their chances of mating. Birds in noisier parts of cities also call at higher pitches than the same species of birds in quieter parts.
QJXNe TIL Disney changed the name of their project "Basil of Baker Street" to The Great Mouse Detective", causing Disney animators to pass around a joke memo blandly renaming old Disney classics. It reached the CEO of Disney, who was furious and demanded to know who wrote the memo. No one squealed.
9Y1M7 TIL The United States technically has the right for two more votes at the UN which they negotiated with the Soviet Union in return for having Belarus and Ukraine join the UN. The United States never used these votes out of respect for equal representation of all nations on the international stage.
WkkoX TIL The handshake was used as a gesture to show neither party was carrying a weapon, or to shake loose any hidden weapons.
nW85r TIL that actor Tom Hanks is distantly related to "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" host Fred Rogers. Hanks is sixth cousins with Rogers, and they share the same great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Johannes Mefford.