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TIL that the term “hipster” originated in the 1940s, and was used to describe jazz afficionados, characterized by their “dress, slang, use of cannabis and other drugs, relaxed attitude, sarcastic humor, self-imposed poverty and relaxed sexual codes.”

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D1kKY TIL of the Clacton Spear. A wooden spear tip that survived intact for 420,000 years but has broken several times since its discovery in 1911.
m6ZM TIL In 1920, J. R. R. Tolkien wrote letters to his children as Father Christmas, along with illustrations of his home near the North Pole, and planted it in the youngster’s bedroom. He wrote them until 1943, and with each passing year, his stories became more elaborate and character-filled.
PYw7n TIL in the early 1900’s, Idaho potatoes were used only for hog food until a railroad superintendent found that they were delicious when baked. Celebrity endorsements, a song and a 40ft potato shaped sign (with electric winking eyes) soon followed and the "baked" potato became mainstream fare.
xGpg TIL Betty White is a huge animal lover who would have become a zookeeper had she not gone into acting. She rejected a role in “As Good As It Gets” because of an animal cruelty scene, she visits local zoos when traveling, and she’s been a long-term board member and generous donor to the L.A. Zoo.
dDxwQ TIL that European aristocrats thought tomatoes were poisonous in the 1700s and nicknamed them "poison apples". In fact the problem was aristocrats used pewter plates and the acid in the tomatoes leached the lead into the food.