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TIL that after the Muhammed cartoons controversy, an Iranian newspaper launched the ‘Holocaust Cartoon Competition’ to denounce “Western hypocrisy on freedom of speech”. The Danish journalist behind Muhammed cartoons said they’ll publish the Holocaust cartoons but he was ultimately fired.

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mxv6v TIL that in 1900 a young clerk at a British shipping company observed a fortune in rubber returning from the Congo while only guns and manacles were being sent in return. He correctly deduced that these resources were being extracted from the population by force and campaigned to expose the abuses.
EwBp TIL that Colombians are obsessed with plastic surgery. The Latin American country did 375,000 cosmetic procedures in 2015 for both natives and foreigners, #2 per capita to South Korea. Thousands of Colombian teenage girls save money for years to have their first surgery at the legal age of 18.
691eZ TIL that altitude can reduce the sensitivity of your taste buds, which means foods may taste less salty or sweet at elevation
Oo1l7 TIL From 1984 - 1988, Spider-Man wore a black costume with a white spider design on his chest. The change to his iconic design was met with controversy. Years later, it was revealed the costume was an alien symbiote which, in turn, gave birth to Venom, one of Marvel's most popular characters
NvrN TIL In 1959, Volvo invented the 3-point seat belt, then gave free license to all other car manufacturers to use it. [x-post from r/Autos]