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TIL that the earliest known example of telephone technology in the Western Hemisphere was created 1,200 to 1,400 years ago by the Chimu people of Peru. It's comprised of two gourds connected by a 75-foot cotton-twine cord, similar to the soup-can phones children make today. It's in the Smithsonian.

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4XgdJ TIL in 1988 McDonalds gave out flexi-disc records where group of singers rapped the entire McDonalds menu. If the singers made it to the end without messing up, you had a prize record that won you $1 million.
v1JZR TIL Kodhini, a tiny village in India's southern state of Kerala, has a surprisingly high twins birth rate — 42 of every 1000 births, almost six times as high as the global average of around 6 per 1000 births. No genetic or environmental factor has been ascertained to this phenomenon yet.
1LE4 TIL that in 2010, Ghana doubled police salaries, in part to reduce petty corruption on its highways. However, researchers found that police officers actually demanded larger bribes after the salary increase, despite allowing more trucks to pass without taking bribes.
GYon5 TIL Grammy award winning Cellist Yo-Yo Ma's Cello has the nickname "Petunia", was built in 1733, and that the Cello itself is currently valued at 2.5 million dollars
BrkOW TIL a perpetual stew was maintained in Perpignan from the 15th century until World War II