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TIL when French was declared the official language of Quebec, the beloved Montreal deli, Schwartz's, was specifically allowed to retain the apostrophe in its name despite no such grammar mark being used in French to show possession. The deli, founded in 1928, is now partly owned by Celine Dion.

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NXr88 TIL beginning in 46 B.C., in celebration of Julius Caesar's return to Rome after defeating Pompey the Great, the Colosseum was ordered to be flooded for a ship battle reenactment in honor of his military efforts against Gaul & Egypt.
Wkpnd TIL that Texas still has a mutual combat law. This means that duelling is still legal according the Texas penal code. The law states that any two individuals who feel the need to fight can agree to mutual combat through a signed, verbal or implied communication and have at it (fists only, however).
wgaY TIL that in 1382, a French bookseller named Nicholas Flamel claimed to have transformed lead into gold after decoding an ancient book of alchemy. True or not, historical records show that Flamel did come into considerable wealth around this time, and donated his riches to charity.
99lD TIL on Christmas in 1914 German and Allied Troops had a truce and sang songs together, gave presents to each other, and played soccer.
epnv4 TIL: Gaston Glock began as a manufacturer of curtain rods in the 1960s, and knives for the Austrian military in the 1970s, and did not design or manufacture a firearm until he was 52 years old