› added 3 years ago

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TIL that the Icelandic government banned the stationing of black American soldiers in Iceland during the Cold War so as to "protect Icelandic women and preserve a homogenous national body". After pressure from the US military, the ban was eventually lifted in the late 1960s.

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jNO7R TIL In 2008, when the Penguins and Red Wings were in the Stanley Cup Finals, Pittsburgh fish market Wholey’s IDed patrons to prevent Red Wings fans from getting an octopus to throw onto the ice
7EYX TIL Bono in his teens snuck into a Ramones show and upon seeing Joey Ramone sing felt less self-conscious about his own singing.
noVY TIL that UC Davis researchers devised a test for bomb and drug-sniffing dogs. They put dogs through 144 runs of a clean room with no drugs or explosives. But the dogs indicated on 123 runs, indicating a failure rate of 85% according to the test’s criteria.
e0aM4 TIL the Banana flavor of candy isn’t fake. It is based on the taste of a type of banana that went nearly extinct in the 1950s.
neEW7 TIL Vikings transported their ships overland to get past difficult stretches of water. Smaller ships would be carried by hand using poles, while larger ships would be pulled across tree branches. To trade with Turks, they would carry their boats 10km overland to get to the Black Sea.