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TIL Niue an associated island state of New Zealand minted legal tender for 1 New Zealand dollar with Queen Elizabeth II on one side and Darth Vader on the other. Other notable coins feature Pikachu, Dr Who, Jesus and Simba.

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p8wpZ TIL "breaker boys" between age 8-12 were employed to work 10 hours a day, 6 days a week to separate impurities from coal. Despite public disapproval, the practice of employing children in this line of work lasted for decades, only finally ending in the US in the 1920s.
GA1R7 TIL That character actor William Smith, whose roles included the Russian Spetsnaz colonel in Red Dawn, nearly had a different career path. While in the Air Force Smith attained several top secret clearances and was considered for a role in the intelligence community before he decided on acting.
89nV TIL that in 1977 McDonalds had to pay the creators of H.R. Pufnstuf more than $1,000,000 for essentially ripping off the TV show when the restaurant created its McDonaldland characters (Mayor McCheese, Big Mac, Hamburglar etc…)
JYAD1 TIL Before it was declared a public domain in 2016, Warner/Chappell has been collecting an estimated $2 million annually from people who use the "Happy Birthday" song, mainly in creative works like movies and television shows.
grVvL TIL that snakes have forked tongues that they use to smell by flicking them in the air and bringing chemicals to an organ called the Jacobson's gan, which smells the chemicals for the snake.