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TIL During the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, McDonalds ran a nationwide promotion offering free products every time a US athlete won a medal. It turned into their most costly promotion ever when the Soviet Union, the powerhouse team of the time, boycotted the event, letting the USA win big.

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p840Q TIL that Angkor, the capital of the Khmer empire, was the largest city in the world during the middle ages. At 1,350 sq. miles, it was bigger than modern day NYC and Tokyo combined.
QJKdL TIL That the famous deaf-blind writer Hellen Keller received a gift from a Japanese police officer who gave her an Akita dog named Kamikaze-Go as a present. After the dog's death Japan’s government gifted another Akita, making her the first person to bring the dog breed to the U.S. In 1948
VvBZ TIL Famous aviator Charles Lindbergh served in WWII as a fighter pilot, despite still being a civilian. His wingman was known as “Fishkiller Miller” after he missed a target and accidentally killed thousands of nearby fish instead.
kOr07 TIL the real "Soup Nazi", Ali Yeganeh, did not like the Seinfeld character based off him. When Jerry Seinfeld visited his restaurant a few weeks after the episode aired, Seinfeld sarcastically apologized to Yeganeh. Yeganeh bellowed "no soup for you!" and ejected Seinfeld from his restaurant.
erl5 TIL that in 2003 a BBC news team was bombed by US fighter jets in a “friendly fire” incident, the entire ordeal was caught on camera (warning: some disturbing images)