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TIL at birth Muhammad Ali was named for Cassius Clay, a Kentucky Congressman of the 19th century who fought to abolish slavery and was named by Lincoln as the US Ambassador to Russia where he gained Russian support for the Union.

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OGPW7 TIL the once-tasty "red delicious" type of apple is now recognized as having declined sharply in quality. Supermarkets wanted to apple to last longer, but the best tasting juicy apples often go bad more quickly. Selective breeding practices changed the red delicious into a more solid & shiny apple.
oB6oW TIL that a totally blind British MP was convinced in 1923 to have all his teeth removed to restore his eyesight, only to die from blood poisoning
7AO7 TIL that in the Middle Ages, rhyming nicknames were becoming common and that is the reason why Bill is short for William(Will), and Dick is short for Richard(Rick)
GAKEG TIL that the city of Marseille dates back to an ancient Greek colony named Massalia and is considered one of Europe's oldest continuously inhabited settlements.
d8QB7 TIL Dieter Schwarz, the founder of Lidl, did not want to use his name for the stores due to an association with the German word "Schwarzmarkt" ("black market"). Instead, he had painter Ludwig Lidl sell him the rights to use his name for 1000 DM.