› added 6 years ago

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TIL there is a difference between a road and a street. A road connects two different places or towns, whereas a street is a small public road that is well within a city or town.

BrZ9L TIL that in 1916 there was a proposed Amendment to the US Constitution that would put all acts of war to a national vote, and anyone voting yes would have to register as a volunteer for service in the United States Army.
Zpp7G TIL Described as the first iced coffee, the Mazagran was named for the beverage that French colonial troops consumed during the 1840 siege of the Mazagran fortress in Algeria. Troops prepared the coffee syrup with water in the absence of milk or brandy and drank it cold to counter the heat.
lLRa TIL the comedy film My Cousin Vinny is often praised by lawyers due to its accurate depiction of courtroom procedure, something very rare in films which portray trials. It is even used as a textbook example by law professors to demonstrate voir dire and cross examination.
NL5Q TIL Turkey Vultures were used by natural gas companies to pinpoint pipeline leaks. Natural gas is odorless, so gas companies add the chemical ethyl mercaptan so that people can smell gas leaks. Ethyl mercaptan is emitted by putrefying animal carcasses. So leaks in gas pipelines attract vultures.
aw48M TIL that singer Helen Kane sued Fleischer Studios for basing Betty Boop's singing style on her and demanded royalties. She lost because Fleischer lawyers proved that Kane stole the style from African American singer Esther Jones.