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TIL merchants were traditionally placed at the bottom of the four-tier social class system in feudal Japan because unlike artisans, farmers and fisherman, merchants weren’t considered productive.

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7DyO TIL that in 2008, Daniel Day-Lewis knelt down on stage for Hellen Mirren to “knight” him with his Oscar for “There Will Be Blood” claiming - “That’s the closest I’ll ever coming to getting a knighthood”. Lewis was bestowed Knighthood 6 years later for his contribution to the theatre and cinema.
PY9Kg TIL Leonardo DiCarpio was offered the lead role in Hocus Pocus, but turned it down to act in What's Eating Gilbert Grape. Though he was paid far less, it earned him his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
5baB TIL that magician Dai Vernon once challenged Harry Houdini to solve one of his card tricks, the latter boasting he could solve any trick after three tries. After seven times, Houdini still couldn’t solve it and Vernon came to be known as “The Man Who Fooled Houdini.”
YgZZ TIL Quarantine comes from the Latin word for 40, which was the number of a days a ship had to wait to dock because of the plague…
OoBwg TIL Lays marketed a low calorie "WOW" brand of chips that made consumers crap their pants. The main ingredient, Olestra, is a fat substitute which allows for frying without calories being added. The problem is your body can't absorb it. Consumers suffered from cramping, diarrhea, and anal leakage.