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TIL that after decades of Florida’s convoluted fireworks law that supposedly made them illegal (but allowed the sale for unlikely purposes, which purchasers would sign “official” forms attesting to), fireworks are now legal for all residents on New Year’s and the Fourth of July.

Read more wftv.com

via reddit.com

7rWrb TIL when chess player Bobby Fischer beat soviet grandmaster Taimanov, Taimanov was thrown off the USSR team, forbidden to travel, banned from writing articles, and deprived of his monthly stipend. It virtually ended his career.
lolEG TIL Edgar Allan Poe died after being found wandering around Baltimore dirty, delirious and wearing somebody else’s clothes. He was never coherent enough to explain how he came to be in such a condition before he died
1abR7 TIL while the brain represents just 2% of a person’s total body weight, it accounts for 20% of the body’s energy use; the bulk of a brain’s energy consumption is put toward sustaining alertness and monitoring the environment for important information
PZOE TIL Stephen King never cashed the $5000 check he received for the rights of turning Shawshank Redemption into a movie. Instead, years after the movie came out, he framed the check and gave it back to Mr. Darabont with a note: “In case you ever need bail money. Love, Steve”
epyJ5 TIL James Doohan (Star Trek's 'Scotty') stormed Juno beach on D-Day as a Canadian army Lieutenant, and was shot 6 times that evening by friendly fire, losing a finger.