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TIL that the most powerful pirate lord in the 19th century was a Chinese prostitute named Ching Shih. She commandeered over 1800 ships and gained her success by being shrewd and maintaining strict rules.

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XEDDr TIL the company that makes Nutella uses 25% of the global supply of hazelnuts.
OG8pg TIL that Hot Cheetos and Takis burned up the snack world in 2012, with schools in several states banning the foods as unhealthy and disruptive while confiscating them on site. That sparked a black market at some schools, with Takis becoming an underground currency.
OoOj4 TIL that a device called a 'Teasmade' was popular in the 60s and 70s in the UK, an alarm clock which also made tea, ensuring it was ready upon waking up.
aw1Ky TIL: Mexico would not extradite cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to the US without assurances he would not be executed. "Drug kingpin activity", along with treason and espionage, is one of a few "crimes against the state" punishable by death under US federal law.
GYLj5 TIL On July 11, 1804, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr met at a remote spot in Weehawken, New Jersey to duel. Hamilton, whose son was killed in a duel in 1801, deliberately fired into the air, but Burr fired with intent to kill. Hamilton, fatally wounded, died in New York City the next day.