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TIL When charging car battery, connecting positive to negative and negative to positive could result in damage to the alternator or even an explosion.

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8eJo4 TIL that the Chancellor of the Exchequer is allowed to drink alcohol when delivering the budget. William Gladstone opted for sherry and a beaten egg.
DdGP TIL mustard and wasabi aren’t spicy until crushed. Only when the plant’s cells are damaged can two otherwise harmless components mix and produce allyl isothiocyanate, the compound responsible for the familiar pungent taste.
1aobV TIL Aegis is a shield carried by Zeus and Athena. That's why we say "under someone's aegis", which means doing something under the protection.
OnE7 TIL that in the graveyard scene of Zoolander, Ben Stiller only asks “why male models?” a second time because he forgot his next line. Duchovny’s line, “are you kidding? I just told you like a minute ago!” was improvised!
oR1MR TIL that the first African American Governor of a US State, Douglas Wilder, wasn’t elected until 1990.