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TIL Melvin Williams played The Deacon on The Wire and Williams criminal history as a Baltimore drug kingpin inspired much of the series. After his release from prison Williams became a community activist.

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16nrX TIL of PlayCable, the first online gaming service developed for intellivision in 1980. It allowed you to download games to an peripheral device using your Cable TV subscription
Z1Yp TIL Germany finished paying WWI reparations only seven years ago.
d8rLj TIL that hundreds of African-Americans in the Selma to Montgomery marches wore yarmulkes after learning that Jews wear them in the presence of God, believing that God was present in their march for freedom.
78AJP TIL about Edward Dando, notorious glutton and dine-and-dasher in 1800's Britain, who would eat dozens of oysters, not pay, go to jail, get released, and promptly do it again
4Xbow TIL During the American Revolutionary War more Americans lost their lives from neglect aboard British prison ships in New York Bay than died in all the battles of the war