› added 7 years ago

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TIL that depictions of knights fighting snails were common in medieval texts. And no one really knows why.

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Rolj TIL that when Teddy Roosevelt was a young child, doctors prescribed him whiskey and cigars to relieve his severe asthma.
BrlJL TIL Pringles were forced to rename the product "Crisps" in the U.S. because the brand uses potato dough rather than sliced potatoes. Years later, Pringles argued in the UK even though their product says "crisps" on the container, they aren't legally crisps. They won in court but lost on appeal.
GAYp5 TIL the “Father of Soft Play” and inventor of the ball pit, Eric McMilan, was inspired to create safe play areas because he grew up in post-WW2 England, playing in rubble.
5YGVR TIL in 1943 to save copper for WWII production, the US Mint made pennies from steel with a coating of zinc. These pennies had a silver appearance rather than the traditional copper coloring.
1a8kr TIL a power plant in Lanai, Hawaii generates electric via diesel trains, still on the tracks.