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TIL that Thomas Edison not only did not invent the incandescent light, but it had been around in some form for over a century before him. He improved upon inventions which has been invented gradually as early as 1705, and had been in its present form (a glass bulb powered by arc lamp) since 1802.

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R4d9 TIL Director Eli Roth brought a TV with him to the Peruvian jungle to show villagers the movie ‘Cannibal Holocaust’ - It was the first movie they’d ever seen and they loved it
V9kp TIL: In 2000, a romance novel tilted Zabibah and the King was published in Iraq, quickly becoming a best seller. Soon after, it was found out that the book was originally published and written anonymously by Saddam Hussein.
OyPg TIL Before the Queen leaves Buckingham Palace to deliver her speech at the Opening of Parliament, a member of the House of Commons is ceremonially held hostage at the palace. This was started to ensure the safe return of the monarch from a possibly hostile Parliament.
N7KRb TIL Winchester Cathedral was built on marsh and was on the verge of collapse as it sunk into the earth. A diver named William Walker worked alone in pitch-black water for five years, eventually putting down 25,000 bags of concrete, 115,000 concrete blocks, and 900,000 bricks to save its foundation.
6EJpZ TIL Hall of Fame pitcher Lee Smith didn’t play baseball until he was a junior in high school, only tried out to win a $10 bet, and only started pitching after his team’s star pitcher was killed in a hunting accident. His first start was a no hitter