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TIL A teenager invented a quick-release ratchet and offered the patent to Sears. Sears told him the patent was valueless and gave him $10,000, then went on to make $44 million selling the ratchets.

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8aa5Z Short answer: Sure, if you're willing to wait
JYd5B TIL that McDonalds has a Gold Card that entitles the holder to free, unlimited food. Warren Buffet and Bill Gates have one, as does Charles Ramsey, who ditched his half-eaten Big Mac to help rescue three kidnapped women.
OQ7a TIL that Hillary Clinton was the first female member of the Wal-Mart board of directors. She is currently one of the largest shareholders for Wal-Mart
OoY1R TIL a brand name becoming 'genericized' can lead to the creator losing copyright. For this reason, companies desperately try to avoid their product names becoming the generic term for an item like Band-Aid or Photoshopped.
ne50G TIL There is an urban legend that the city of Berwick was at war with Russia from 1853 till the 1960's, when the mayor signed a treaty. The myth spawns from Berwick's absence from the Treaty of Paris that ended the Crimean War, in reality Berwick was not included in the original declaration of war.