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TIL: On August 4, 1945 the Soviet Union used the Young Pioneer Organization as a front to gift the Great Seal of the United States to a US Ambassador. It was bugged. It remained in his office for seven years before detection.

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p8EZG TIL Telecoms and ISP providers were given permission to surcharge with the condition they built a Fibre to the Home network for 30% of America by 2000. It was mostly built in the middle of nowhere, and can’t be used because the last mile hasn’t been installed. Americans are still being charged.
9gjQ TIL that our solar system is ‘unusual’ in that it only has one star, more than half of the stars in the sky are binary or triple, Jupiter could have been our second star
loYQA TIL the Japanese used "nightingale floors" to alert castle lords to enemy attacks. These floors were designed so that walking on them created a shrill chirping noise. To tell friend from foe, the lord of the castle would identify a set rhythm for allies to use when walking on the nightingale floors.
aXZb TIL that people lived in caves in Scotland until 100 years ago when it was outlawed
KP7B TIL of the mellified man, who, entering old age, would choose to consume nothing but honey until he died; and then would be entombed in honey for a century plus before being unmasked and eaten for health benefits.