› added 11 years ago

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TIL the abbreviated “lb” for “pound” in America comes from the astrology symbol “Libra,” the scales.

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eO1n TIL M&M’s turned down the opportunity to be featured in Steven Spielberg’s movie ET due to the flop of his previous film 1941, Spielberg then contacted a struggling Hershey’s who put $1 million into promoting the film - Within two weeks of release Hershey’s had tripled their sales.
RGDw TIL British accents originally sounded closer to modern American, but changed in the 19th century to show status. Historians maintain that Shakespeare plays sound better with American actors
gvEX TIL that beer bottles are brown in order to protect the beer from UV rays, which causes it to spoil. However, green and clear glass offers virtually no protection.
yVWLX TIL in the 1980s, McDonald’s used the song “Mack the Knife” in commercials that featured their character "Mac Tonight". The song “Mack the Knife” is about a knife-wielding criminal from London’s underworld who dumped the body of his victim in a river.
JYaX8 TIL that by 3400 B.C. the Sumerians were growing the opium poppy and called it Hul Gil, the 'joy plant'.