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TIL that Benjamin Franklin’s sharp lightning rods sparked political debates. He argued they were more effective, while King George III preferred blunt ones. The colonies’ adoption of Franklin’s design symbolized a scientific choice and a subtle rebellion against the King's preferences.

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XEyZk TIL All of the character in 'Scooby Doo' were based on character in the 50s TV show 'The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.' Shaggy was originally a beatnik, then a hippy. Legendary DJ Casey Kasem originally balked at voicing a hippie but grew to love the character as Shaggy evolved thru the series.
5VyAp TIL of Mrs Mills' Piano - a 1905 Steinway upright piano at Abbey Road Studios. Its "characteristic out-of-tune honky tonk sound" has been featured on countless albums. Paul McCartney tried to buy it, but was refused.
4XjyJ TIL that BBC's documentary series "Human Planet" was riddled with faked and staged scenes including a segment where Venezuelan children ate tarantulas in a film studio.
p8bvG TIL In 1969 the US held a televised draft lottery for the Vietnam War, in which blue capsules were pulled from a container at random containing birthdates that would determine who the first round of eligible men to go off to war would be
69Vkw TIL Bald Eagles, The USA's National Icon, are a menace to landfill employees because they, among other things, fly in and pick up entire trash bags, bring them back to their nests to pick out items they want, and leave the garbage bags in the trees or drop them in people's yards