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TIL of Fedspeak, described as a 'turgid dialect of English' used by US government officials, notably Alan Greenspan, in order to avoid difficult questions on reports and statements

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grrp4 TIL That in 1848, some children born in the Louisiana state penitentiary were considered the property of the state, and auctioned off.
Zp4PG TIL that in ancient Greece, Pythagoreans, followers of Pythagoras's teachings, hated the number 17 because it separates 16 and 18, which uniquely form quadrilaterals with areas equal to their perimeters.
e0RB5 TIL that while the Bald Eagle is widely known as a national symbol of the United States, the American Bison is the national mammal. The population of American Bison, once 60+ million, dropped to <600 by 1889, but due to conservation efforts is now 500k and growing.
VM7OQ TIL that the Italian liqueur manufacturer Amaretto ran an advertisement campaign where almond scented aerosol was spread in London Underground stations, which smells just like cyanide gas.
4nmg TIL that a trivia book author included a fake entry that said ‘Philip’ was the first name of TV detective 'Columbo,’ who has no first name. When Trivial Pursuit included 'Philip Columbo’ as an answer, the author sued for $300 million, saying they had stolen their trivia from his books.