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TIL Napoleon III of France tried to invade Mexico, and lost on May 5, 1862, the origin of the holiday Cinco de Mayo

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dZX7 TIL that Fats Waller, jazz musician, was kidnapped by four armed men and forced to play the piano during a huge party ; he later realized he was playing for Al Capone’s birthday, who absolutely loved his music. Some say he played for three days, and went back home with a tip of thousands of dollar.
N7QBQ TIL that in 1849, a fossil arm bone from a 10 foot long sea turtle was discovered in a streambed in New Jersey. In 2012, an amateur paleontologist found the other half of the same bone and the two halves were reunited after more than 160 years apart
OEE6 TIL for the movie “Alien,” Ridley Scott lit the alien ship’s egg chamber with blue laser lights that were borrowed from The Who. The band was testing out the lasers for their next tour in the sound stage next door.
4v8g TIL the U.S. dollar symbol “$” was created on April 1, 1778 by Oliver Pollock
KZEJ TIL Early 60s American astronauts had groupies as there were “plenty of pretty women who would give anything to sleep with an astronaut”