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TIL that when crossword puzzles were first introduced to the US, they became an object of cultural hysteria. Newspapers warned of a crossword craze gripping the country's minds. The trend was described as an epidemic, a virulent plague, and a national menace.

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8YoG TIL that a duck’s feathers are so waterproof that even when the duck dives underwater, its downy underlayer of feathers will stay completely dry.
kO0RB TIL it took Pixar almost 3 years of research to perfect Merida’s curly hair for their 2012 film Brave. They spent two months working on a scene where Merida removes her hood and the full volume of her hair is finally revealed.
69Bj8 TIL Vancouver's Stanley Park Hollow Tree Conservation Society voted to save a six-metre-wide dead Hollow Tree stump and paid $200,000 worth of restoration work. The parks board voted to cut down the 700 year old tree, because it was a safety hazard
Ke1w TIL A cat named Cleo tracked down and found her owner who had been moved into a nursing home. Nancy Cowen forced to say goodbye to her loveable cat whom she had adopted as a stray eight years earlier but weeks later Cleo, to the amazement of everyone, managed to find her.
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