› added 7 years ago

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TIL that as part of the contract for appearing on Shark Tank, if you mention the name of any company you own then Shark Tank automatically owns 5% of that company or gets 2% of the lifetime profits. This is true whether the Sharks make a deal with that person or not, and prevents free advertising.

9EEG TIL although Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” outsold any other book of its time, he didn’t make any profit, instead donating the sales to buy mittens for the troops in the American Revolution
JYboB TIL of Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians. Eldest daughter of Alfred the Great who ruled the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia and played a key role in conquering the Danelaw.
dDZbE TIL after Columbus landed in the Americas in 1492, they discovered Taino people roasting meat over a grill, allowing the flames and smoke to envelop the meat for a certain flavor. Called "barabicu" by the Taino, the technique spread to Europe and the colonies, and is now known as Barbecue.
R7vg4 TIL Silly String was invented to be used as an aerosol spray to create an instant cast on broken and sprained bones. It worked, but while testing nozzles it was noticed it produced a 30' string. This inspired the inventor to change the formula to be less sticky, add color, and market it as a toy.
xVpZ7 TIL of the One Small Step Act, which gives legal protection to the Apollo Moon landing sites against possible inadvertent or intentional tampering. It passed the US Senate in 2019 and is awaiting a vote in the House of Representatives