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TIL: Cheng Chui Ping, also known as Sister Ping, ran a human smuggling empire and is widely regarded as the most prolific smuggler of the 20th century. She ran her operation between Hong Kong and New York City from 1984 until 2000. The FBI still doesn't know how many people she smuggled into the US.

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lbAB TIL that in 480 BC, the Persians’ bridges were destroyed by storms as they invaded Greece. King Xerxes then ordered his men to give the sea three hundred whip lashes, to throw fetters into it and to burn it with red hot irons. Meanwhile, the punishers were to shout “you are a turbid and briny river”
kR8B TIL that the Ancient Romans would piss on their clothes (or let strangers relieve themselves in a bowl and collect the urine), let it break down into ammonia, mix it with water and stir the mixture with their feet to clean their laundry.
QJJW6 TIL that salmon sushi wasn't introduced in Japan until 1995, when Norwegian businessmen convinced Japanese businessmen that Atlantic Salmon was safe to eat raw. This was because Norway simply had too much salmon.
R5517 TIL that the Oscar Academy wanted to give Dead Man's Chest an award/nomination for make-up, not digital effects because they were fooled into thinking that Davy Jones was Bill Nighy wearing make-up and rubber tentacles. They had to convince them it was 100% CGI.
xZr1 TIL that U.S. President Thomas Jefferson was also: a lawyer, an architect, president of the American Philosophical Society, a speaker of 5 languages, founder of the Univ. of VA., inventor of the swivel chair, and author to what is considered the most important American book published before 1800.