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TIL: In 1911, Canadian prospector William Henry Wright and his brother-in-law were hunting rabbits when they stumbled upon a quartz outcrop that eventually yielded 13.5 million ounces of gold.

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5YDmD TIL of The Irish Sweepstakes, est. 1930, which sold lottery tickets internationally to fund Irish hospitals, and prizes won via horse races. The US, where gambling was illegal at the time, bought the most tickets.
XAnX TIL of the Battle of Saragarhi where 21 Sikh soldiers chose to fight to the death against 10,000 Pathans and Afghan tribesmen advancing on their signaling post in Saragarhi. It is considered by some military historians as one of history’s great last-stands.
vPpZB TIL from the 1940s-1970s, pinball was banned in some of the biggest cities in the US due to claims that it was a mafia-run gambling scheme that corrupted the youth. It wasn’t until 1976, when an expert demonstrated in court that pinball was a game of skill & not luck, that the ban in NYC was lifted.
lo5D5 TIL: Payless, a brand known for budget-friendly shoes, opened a fake pop-up store called "Palessi" in a Los Angeles mall and invited people to the grand opening. The store was stocked with Payless shoes in disguise. One shopper spent $640 for a pair of boots.
JYKR1 TIL, Danny Sugerman started a career in music at 12 years of age, opening fan mail for the Door's. After Jim Morrison's death he took over for their manager, following into Ray Manzarek's solo career. In addition to also managing Iggy Pop, he wrote 3 books about the Doors.