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TIL West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943) deemed it unconstitutional to force ordinary citizens to participate in patriotic rituals. The initial case was for refusal due to religious reasons, but the ruling was generalized to allow all forms of refusal.

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DQxpv TIL: Ping-pong balls are made with celluloid, which is a byproduct of the paper-making process. Celluloid is used in ping-pong balls because it is easily molded and shaped, while allowing for the high-bounce property of the balls.
wLNLJ TIL that in 1998 Australian Astronomers detected fast radio burst signals, and named them Perytons. It was soon discovered that it was escaping radiation from the microwave in the lunch room, which was being stopped by using the door release without pushing the stop button first.
Z8Ona TIL In Australia, the Henley-on-Todd Regatta is held annually on the dry Todd riverbed. Competitors run down the course carrying bottomless boats. It was cancelled once, in 1993, due to flooding
m15oo TIL the song Tusk by Fleetwood Mac and the USC marching band is the only song that features a marching band to ever make the top ten of the US billboards top 100 songs.
VMYp0 TIL in 2007 about 300 University of Florida students marched to the steps of campus police headquarters the day following the infamous “don’t tase me bro” incident. 4 weeks later the university sponsored a panel to discuss appropriate police practices. 15 people attended and one signed up to comment