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TIL that in 1795, the British Government began requiring hair powder users to pay a 1 Guinea annual fee (roughly £100 pounds today) or face substantial fines. In its first year, the tax raised £200,000. By the time it was repealed in 1869, it yielded an annual revenue of £1,000.

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loXOG TIL of the theory that the "monster under the bed" is an evolutionary leftover from our hunter/gatherer days. "children would fear bedtime because of the threat of wild animals."
rexo TIL that until 1990, there was a McDonald’s store that operated outside the control of McDonalds corporation. It was franchised by the original McDonald brothers, and was completely independent.
1aWgD TIL that ships sent to retrieve dead bodies of the victims of the Titanic disaster found so many bodies that they ran out of embalming supplies. They decided to only retrieve bodies of 1st class passengers due to "the need to visually identify wealthy men to resolve any disputes over large estates."
OMAX TIL LBJ received massive cash payments from defense contractor Brown & Root, a big supporter of the war in Vietnam. Later they made BILLIONS from the Vietnam War. Today that company is called Halliburton.
R7dK9 TIL Susannah Mushatt Jones: World's oldest person says that she eats bacon every day