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TIL that Charles Dickens’ novels were hugely popular even among the illiterate poor. They would pool their money to hire a reader, and then gather together to listen to the stories.

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D1wvg TIL that British politician John Stonehouse faked his death in November 1974, leaving a pile of clothes on a beach in Miami. It was presumed he had gone swimming and drowned. But Stonehouse was actually en route to Australia to set up a new life with his mistress and secretary, Sheila Buckley.
A5Vg TIL that when concentration camps were liberated, the Allied military government of Germany forced many homosexuals to finish their sentences and refused to recognize them as victims of Nazi persecution.
ZpavY TIL: "Gutter Oil" street food vendors and low tier restaurants in China and few in Vietnam would gather the cooking oil that ends up in the sewer, get rid of most of the impurities, and reuse again as they can't afford new cooking oil. It reportedly tastes the same.
VO6Z TIL Director Oliver Stone enlisted in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam war and requested combat duty. He participated in more than 25 helicopter combat assaults. He was awarded the Bronze Star with “V” device for his heroism in ground combat, as well as a Purple Heart with an Oak Leaf cluster.
nWrZP TIL that networks were created to help German Nazis to flee Europe after World War II. Josef Mengele and Adolf Eichmann made it to South America using the system. The Escape routes are called ratlines because of the way rats cling together to save themselves on a sinking ship.