› added 3 days ago

TIL that Lee Greenwood - singer and writer of "God Bless the USA" - wrote a Canadian version called "God Bless Canada." The music is identical, with a few changes to the lyrics

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pYEeb Today I learned that Mario, the beloved character from Nintendo's Mario franchise, was originally named Jumpman. Created by Shigeru Miyamoto in 1981 for the arcade game Donkey Kong, Mario later became the official name of the character in subsequent games.
ZpedD TIL that in 2012, a group of British students edited the Wikpedia article about electric toasters and inserted the false claim that a man named Alan MacMasters invented the toaster in 1893. The fake article was cited by newspapers and other organizations until the hoax was exposed in July 2022.
XRGP TIL The South African government ordered sculptors to remove a bronze rabbit they hid in the right ear of a Nelson Mandela statue. “We don’t think it’s appropriate because Nelson Mandela never had a rabbit on his ear”
loyQr TIL Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, once advised JFK on a way to overthrow Fidel Castro. Fleming reasoned Castro's trademark beard was his key to power. So he advised JFK to announce that beards attract radiation. Castro would then immediately shave off his off and soon fall from power.
BMwb TIL that Self-marriage is legally recognized in Africa and there is also a religious ceremony for it