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TIL that the term "riding shotgun" comes from the word "shotgun messenger" referring to the guard sitting next to the Stagecoach driver who used a shotgun to ward off robbers and miscreants. This found its way into popular culture through Hollywood's love of Westerns

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E8ed TIL The last prisoner of war from the Second World War to be repatriated was a Hungarian soldier who was taken prisoner by the Red Army in 1944, then discovered living in a Russian psychiatric hospital in 2000
VMPvZ TIL the troopship "Queen Mary" transported 16, 683 troops in a single voyage, making it the most passengers ever to be transported on one vessel.
W7E14 TIL this seatbelt loop serves a real purpose - in an accident the seat belt is put under extreme pressure, the threading in the loops can rip, and the loop unfolds. This action adds a few extra inches to the belt and can absorb more energy to keep you safer and decrease the risk of injury.
N7w8P TIL that barbers in the Middle Ages performed surgery such as limb amputation, bloodletting and tooth pulling in addition to cutting hair. They were known as ‘barber surgeons’ and the red and white barber pole signified blood and bandages.
Ao14 TIL that one major reason that Hollywood emerged as the center of filmmaking is that early on, most moviemaking patents were held by Thomas Edison’s company in New Jersey, and filmmakers were sued to stop their productions. To escape this, they began moving out west, where enforcement was difficult.