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TIL The first stenotype machine (the machine used by court reporters to type shorthand) was invented in 1830.

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OGJEg TIL that "Merry Christmas" was the first message sent by SMS on 3 December 1992.
VBdgB TIL that United Flight 175, the 2nd plane to crash into the WTC on 9/11, rapidly descended at an “unheard of” 5,000 ft/min during its final 5 minutes. Flying at 590 mph, the aircraft also banked sharply just before impact, as it might’ve otherwise just clipped the South Tower or missed it entirely.
ZB0Q TIL that Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune turned down playing Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader, because he thought it cheapen the image of the samurai.
1a6XW TIL the United States Treasury used to print 5 denominations of money larger than $100. They were used mostly as government transactions, and were all discontinued in 1969. It is illegal to be in posession of a $100,000 bill, a Gold Certificate, due to Executive Order 6102.
LQXGv TIL that the inspiration for Billy Elliot was an opera singer, Thomas Allen, not a dancer