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TIL Prostitution was the biggest source of employment for women in Helena, Montana in the 1870’s and 80’s. In 1886 there were 52 prostitutes working the city. The madams became so wealthy they bought up blocks of downtown property and even started their own mortgage company.

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b981Z TIL Josephine Baker was the first Black woman to star in a major motion picture, the 1927 silent film Siren of the Tropics, directed by Mario Nalpas and Henri Étiévant. Baker refused to perform for segregated audiences in the US and is noted for her contributions to the Civil Rights Movement.
e4kE TIL In Iceland, around 90% of homes are heated from geothermal sources.
Xjbr TIL Comedian and filmmaker Mel Brooks not only discovered Dave Chappelle, he also discovered Gene Wilder (The original Willy Wonka). He also served as a Combat Engineer in the Battle of the Bulge, defusing explosives, and set up his own loud speakers and sang to enemy propaganda loudspeakers.
pLaG TIL that when the Titanic was found in 1985, the famous Grand Staircase (appearing in many films of the sinking) was missing. During the filming of the 1997 movie, the replica was torn out by the water when the set was flooded; the real staircase was likely ripped out of the ship in the same way.
ORLg TIL that biliverdin, the pigment that gives robin eggs their blue color, is the same pigment that makes bruises look blue.