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TIL that in 1971 the Shah of Iran threw one of the most expensive parties in history, which spared no expense. It was attended by nearly all royal families, dignitaries and presidents. The example of over extravagance was ultimately used by the islamic revolutionaries to overthrow the Shah.

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P1aLZ TIL Taito (the company behind Space Invaders) originally produced peanut vending machines and vodka when it was founded as Taito Trading Company in the early 1950's.
9Y5JB TIL The Ramones’ “I Wanna be Sedated” is a straightforward homage to Alice Cooper’s “I Wanna Be Elected”. (Note: I heard it from Alice herself in a documentary but the hyperlink I attached will have to suffice.)
bvZa TIL Richard Owen (who created the word Dinosaur) exploited his crippled peer Gideon Mantell, by claiming ownership and renaming his discoveries. After Mantels suicide, Owen wrote his obituary calling Mantell a mediocre Scientist. He then had Mantells spine removed, pickled, and stored.
16a1r TIL the unique “sizzling” bass sound of the iconic TR-808, which is now used in almost all pop music, is made by a specific set of rejected transistors. Because they were a mistake, the transistors, and therefore the 808 itself, cannot be reproduced.
0wrVM TIL about Price's Law. In any productive population, the square root of the population generates 50% of the output. (E.g out of 10,000 farmers only 100 produce 50% of the food).