› added 8 months ago

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TIL that the Washington Territory (soon to be Washington state) was originally going to be called Columbia but the name was deemed too similar to the District of Columbia. District of Columbia was ironically renamed to Washington D.C. before Washington gained statehood.

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WkVwA TIL of Grant Gelt, the kid who played Bertram in The Sandlot, who was described at the end of the film as getting "really into the 60's and no one ever saw him again." According to Grant's IMDB page, his last credited role was for a 1999 TV Film known as "The 60's" and he's had no other roles since
OoAka TIL two-thirds of the apple juice consumed in the US comes from China
x65A7 TIL that in the 63 years since Niger gained independence from France, it has only had one peaceful transfer of power (2021).
VGbm TIL The most decorated soldier in US history was an orphan who was shunned by his own men for being too small, and was turned away from two other military services before he got the chance to see combat. He was awarded every medal that a soldier could receive.
OooYe TIL that the Soviet Union's economy was planned via the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, or "COMECON" -- pronounced as "COMMIE-CON"