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TIL Before natural gas distribution became common, houses had pipelines for coal-derived "town gas" to use for heating and cooking.

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18jd TIL that April 1st was originally celebrated as the New Year day, until in 1582 Pope Gregory XIII ordered a new calender to replace the old one. Those who continued celebrating the New Year on April 1st (either rebels or ignorant of the new changes) were thus branded ‘Fools’.
BgwPD TIL the Grilled Cheese sandwich was originally an open-faced sandwich called the "Cheese Dream" which became popular in the U.S. during the Great Depression
yV8Nw TIL Paul Anka wrote "My Way" for Frank Sinatra because Frank told him he was retiring from the music industry.
wL1G6 TIL pole dancing became more common during the Great Depression since traveling performers would dance in tents at this time. Eventually, these performers began to incorporate the tent pole into their striptease routines.
OoXBR TIL that "In God We Trust" was not the US's national motto, nor was it present in the pledge or all currency until the 1950s. It was added largely as opposition to atheistic beliefs in the USSR during the cold war.