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TIL the reason Converse shoes have a piece of felt on the sole is so they can be classified as a slipper instead of a sneaker. By doing this they are able to lower their import tariff tax from 37.5% to only 3%.

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gMyeb TIL Asbestos was commonly used to make false relics as the fire resistance was seen as miraculous. Additionally Charlemagne allegedly had an asbestos tablecloth he threw into fires to impress guests.
v1Jo8 TIL that Ronald Reagan was so indelibly type-cast as the 'great loser' in films that when Jack Warner, movie magnate and his longtime employer, was first apprised of the actor's ambition to run for Governor of California, he protested: "No, Jimmy Stewart for Governor. Ronald Reagan for Best Friend."
0wMmA TIL Queen Elizabeth is not required to have a driver's license, among other special privileges
eppe5 TIL US Customs and Border Protection allows their officers to have racially motivated and gang-related tattoos... they just need to cover them up while they are at work.
BrEjD TIL that the highest absolute altitude ever achieved by a helicopter (12,440 m) resulted in the engines experiencing a flameout at peak altitude. The pilot then set the record for the longest autorotation used for the unpowered landing of a helicopter.