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TIL the “soap” in soap operas comes from household cleaning companies sponsoring shows and controlling the ads that were shown

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N76mN TIL 1783 the grand master Philodor played and won three chess games simultaneously while blindfolded. Witnesses signed affidavits since they doubted future generations would believe such a feat was possible.
wLKjM TIL that the word "pumpernickel" can literally translate to "devil's fart" because of the bread's "reputed indigestibility"
Mel87 TIL that the most mass a planet can have is ~10-13x the mass of Jupiter. After this point, it's own sheer gravity begins to cause nuclear fusion and the body is classified as a brown dwarf (also called a failed star).
MeggK TIL of the Benjamin Franklin effect that causes people to like someone more after doing them a favor. When Franklin asked his rival for a rare book and returned it with a note of thanks, Franklin’s rival spoke to him with great civility and offered help, leading the two men to become good friends.
nelDP TIL Gene Wilder agreed to play Willy Wonka only if he could limp out of the factory and then somersault when he meets the children.