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156

TIL In 1656 the City of London soldiers were ordered to patrol the streets and seize any food they discovered being prepared for Christmas celebrations. They saw Christmas as a wasteful festival that threatened Christian beliefs.

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JnKm TIL that until 1936, Liechtenstein and Haiti were unknowingly using the same flag, and they didn’t find out until they competed against each other in the Olympics
jNxgM TIL That the first Boeing 747 to fly a commercial route was also the first to be hijacked, 9 months after it flew its maiden commercial flight. 7 years later, it was also one of the planes destroyed in the Tenerife Airport Disaster.
GYVk4 TIL During WWI, cotton was in high demand for the manufacture of uniforms and explosives. For bandages, doctors turned to using sphagnum moss. It can hold up to 22 times its own weight in liquid -- twice as absorptive as cotton. The moss is also antiseptic, making the surrounding environment acidic
nWxyr TIL the first parody movie was 1905's The Little Train Robbery, a parody of 1903's The Great Train Robbery. Both were directed by Edwin S. Porter
b6ZW7 TIL insects fly into light bulbs because artificial light messes up their sense of direction