› added 4 years ago

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TIL that NASCAR was formed after Prohibition when out-of-work bootleggers wanted to keep their driving skills sharp through organized races.

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KvvE TIL That 167 people cashed in big on 175 to 1 odds that Luis Suarez would bite someone during the 2014 World Cup after a Norwegian betting site posted a joke bet.
YdLP TIL that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have given over $33bn in grants to health programmes around the world. Its work focuses on prevention, immunisation and vaccination.
VZAB TIL that, while crocodiles can close their mouths with extreme force, their ability to OPEN their mouths is incredibly weak. Their jaws can be held shut using a rubber band.
NabP TIL: In Germany (and other parts of Europe) there are brass plaques set in the sidewalks in front of the former homes of people who fell victim to German Nazism.
xVMRg TIL that European armies persisted with brightly colored uniforms into the 20th century because, until the advent of smokeless powder, camouflage was unnecessary: battlefields were so thick with gun-smoke that unit positions and movements were naturally concealed.