› added 9 years ago

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TIL Victor Mature, after being denied membership of the Los Angeles Country Club because he was an actor, replied “I am not an actor - and I’ve got 64 films to prove it”

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mx4oM TIL in the 1920s, a strange disease known as encephalitis lethargica spread throughout the world, effecting 5 million people. It killed 1 million, and many of the survivors were left unable to move or speak, but were conscious and aware. No cure was ever found, and it disappeared by 1926.
kOG4W TIL in the early 70s Chrysler would produce unordered cars and store them at the "sales bank". The company then coerced the dealers into buying these cars under threat of such actions as not processing warranty claims or misplacing custom orders.
AVpo TIL Humans appeared 200,000 years ago. Written history begins 5,500 years ago. This means 97% of human history is lost forever.
WVpo TIL that during WWII, the Russians used a biplane on the Eastern Front that was so slow, German planes could not actually target it without potentially stalling.
rNWg4 TIL before the invention of the American football helmet in the 1890s, players would often grow their hair long because they believed it protected them from head injuries.