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TIL August 11, 1984 Ronald Reagan made a pre-broadcast mic check, declaring, “My fellow Americans, I’m pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.” It leaked and became the world news leading to the alert state in Japan

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yV8rp TIL: One of the generals in the Second Liberian Civil War tried magical invisibility spells in combat & when they failed, ran into fights nude to avoid his clothes being seen. Afterward he tried to reform his image by converting to Christianity, but the public doubted the honesty of his conversion.
KO8ZJ TIL Ticketmaster deliberately holds back tickets for concerts to create the illusion of scarcity, particularly when demand is highest. They also release tickets in small batches periodically, making it impossible for consumers to make informed choices about ticket purchases.
VBwyk TIL that the repetition of the word "cello" in the song "A Quick One, While He's Away" by the Who came about because the bands producer and manager Kit Lambert couldn't afford to use actual cellos for the song.
ld5V TIL Switzerland is abbreviated to ‘CH’ because of its Latin name, ‘Confoederatio Helvetica.’ - Latin is also still used on stamps and coins
OGoZg TIL: Kelp (seaweed) is not a plant. It's a protist.