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TIL the layout of keys on a telephone keypad was based on research of sixteen possible alternatives performed at Bell labs in 1960

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ALd7 TIL The photographer who took the picture of the starving African child with a vulture waiting for her death committed suicide after 3 months. His suicide note said “I am haunted by the vivid memories of killings and corpses and anger and pain.“
6Ege7 TIL in much of the US it is illegal to buy a new car from the manufacturer. You are required by law to go through the middleman of a car dealer, so they can tac on an extra ~30℅.
LQO1V TIL that there's a room in the basement of Oregon State Hospital now known as, "The Room of Forgotten Souls." In 2004, several copper cans were discovered containing the remains of 3,600 psychiatric patients cremated on-site between 1917-1973.
gM6AD TIL of Steve Hodel, an LA homicide detective who believes his deceased father killed the Black Dahlia, after finding a picture of him with Elizabeth Short. He later discovered his father had been one of the prime suspects at the time of the murder.
dln9 TIL that after instituting blind auditions, taking careful measures to avoid knowing anything about the applicants other than their musical ability, the top five orchestras in the US tripled the number of female musicians they hired.