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TIL at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, the opening night lights were automatically activated when the star Arcturus was detected. This star was chosen since its light takes ~40 years to arrive, so the rays landing on Earth had begun their journey ~1893, the year of Chicago's previous World's Fair

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rNXNM TIL that Abbott and Costello were among the highest-paid entertainers in the world during World War II. During a national tour in 1942, they sold $85 million in war bonds in 35 days. ($1.64 billion, adjusted for inflation)
16OB7 TIL John D. Rockefeller's dad, William Rockefeller was a snake oil salesman and accused of assault .
n1kB TIL there’s a second Monalisa in Museo del Prado, Madrid, that was probably painted by one of Da Vinci’s pupils. When viewed combined with the original Mona Lisa, it can create a 3-D effect, making it the first stereoscopic image in world history.
N7BaP TIL renewable energy provided almost 100% of electricity production in Iceland, with about 73% coming from hydropower and 27% from geothermal power.
j6dKp TIL Fredric Wertham's 'Seduction of the Innocent' in 1954 criticized Batman comics for alleged homosexual tones. This led to a 'sunnier Batman' era , with characters like Batwoman and Batgirl introduced to counter the claims about Batman and Robin being gay.