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TIL that "The Pond" was a small US government intelligence organization that operated from 1942 and 1955. It worked in 32 countries, and after WWII was set up as a corporation contracted to the State Department, later merged with the CIA. The US government formally acknowledged it in 2001.

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kOXGe TIL of the Teapot Dome Scandal: Between 1921-1923 during Harden's presidency, the Secretary of the Interior, Albert Fall, secretly leased federal oil reserves to the Mammoth Oil Company in exchange for $200k worth of liberty bonds. He became the first Cabinet secretary to go to prison.
66jY TIL That the “Everlasting Lightning Storm”, after appearing continually for centuries, the lightning ceased from January to April 2010, apparently due to drought.This raised fears that it might have been extinguished permanently. (video in comments)
8eJpb TIL That the Million Dollar 1988 McDonalds record winner was 13, had his mom claim it, she squandered a good chunk of it, had her BF steal what was left, lost his mom 10 years later, doesn’t talk to his sister and now trims trees
NXMM6 TIL 15,498 dams across the United States are characterized as high hazard, meaning the loss of at least one human life is likely if the dam were to fail.
L8Vp TIL that Galapagos tortoise were delicious, even tastier than pork and chicken, with their oil tasting like butter. They could even survive for an entire year without food or water, making them a dream come true for sailors who had access to fresh meat throughout their voyages.