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TIL that the oldest piece of statute law still in force in the United Kingdom dates to 1267 AD

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4Xbvg TIL a lost play by Alexandre Dumas was discovered in the French National Library archives in 2002
QNE4M TIL Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was paid only 800 rubles for 'Swan Lake.' The ballet was based on King Ludwig II's life which Russians disliked and also called it "unimaginative" and "unmemorable." Swan Lake was a failure during Tchaikovsky's lifetime.
dDjZE TIL that Henry Knox, namesake of Fort Knox where much of the US’ gold reserves are stored, ran a number of failed business ventures and accumulated large amounts of debt. When he died after swallowing a chicken bone, he left an estate that was bankrupt.
5byk TIL of the term Elefantenrennen, which is German for Elephant Race. It refers to when one large truck attempts to pass another with little to no speed difference, preventing anyone behind them from passing.
arLN TIL that, because of the wide use of plastics and polyurethane foam in modern furnishings, house fires today spread 8 times faster than they did 40 years ago.