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TIL that the ‘Big Mac Index’ is an economic tool published annually by The Economist to measure the purchasing power parity between two currencies. It compares the cost of Big Macs world-wide to determine whether currencies are over-valued or under-valued.

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6eMY TIL that in 1978, the engineer of Citicorp Center, one of the 10 tallest buildings in NYC, discovered a fatal flaw in the building’s structure. A massive, secretive plan, was set in motion to correct the flaw before the building toppled over and killed thousands.
lA9V TIL The death toll of the Halifax explosion would have been significantly higher if not for a lone railway dispatcher. The railyard had evacuated after being warned of the impending explosion, but one man ran back to telegraph halt orders to all inbound trains for Halifax, saving hundreds of lives.
8aXxG TIL only 5% of average musicians' income comes from music sales, and only 12% of overall music industry income goes to the performers
4ZBb TIL The Japanese Yakuza use a racketeering practice known as Sōkaiya to extort money from businesses. They buy enough shares to have a seat at meetings, then threaten to show up and disclose secrets about company leaders. This usually works because Japanese fear shame more than anything.
J1RGl TIL Wang Geon, the founder of Goryeo (a medieval Korean kingdom), had 30 wives and 34 children. He married daughters from powerful noble families to have their support. In contrast, his son Gwangjong, wanting to retain power only in the royal family, married his half-sister, and his niece