› added 1 year ago

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TIL about the Amphicar, an amphibious automobile from the 1960s. US President Lyndon B. Johnson owned one, and he was known to frighten visitors at his ranch by driving them downhill directly into his property's lake, all the while shouting that he had malfunctioning brakes.

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OoRGR TIL about Vashti Bunyan, a folk singer from the late 60's that quit her career after her first album was poorly received. Only for it to gain a cult following 30 years later, selling in excess of £3500 online, all without her knowledge. She then returned to her music career with 2 more albums.
PYGrG TIL a California HS teacher designed an experiment/demonstration to explain how the German population could accept the actions of the Nazi regime during WWII. It lasted 5 days and grew from just his class of 30 to over 200 students.
KYOaa TIL Movies made in France can access a tax rebate (worth up to 40% of spend) if the movie passes a Cultural Test, which awards points if at least one main character is "of a nationality that cannot be determined". More points for sets being "symbolic of France".
Bgwlb TIL That a tree introduced by the British to combat soil erosion turned so invasive that local Indians punished people by asking criminals to remove it as a remedy to crimes.
Zp78D TIL about the Indian Vulture Crisis, in which Indian farmers’ use of a livestock medication led to the near eradication of vulture species and subsequent epidemiological catastrophe, costing the nation US$23bn per year