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TIL that the Pledge of Allegiance was compulsory in US schools until a Jehovah Witness Father appealed to the court that saluting the flag in such a manner made it a "graven image," and by forcing his children to do so was an attack on this family's right to freedom of religion and speech.

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BgpL TIL that a species of bird known as the Shrike impales all of its prey so that it can return and feed whenever it wants.
ON9Y TIL Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong, is not allowed to bike to work because his safety is too important to Nintendo
O9OX TIL that King Gustav III of Sweden, in an experiment, commuted the death sentences of a pair of twins on the condition that one drank 3 pots of coffee, and the other tea, every day for the rest of their lives
w1gP TIL East St. Louis, IL has a higher murder rate than Gary IN, New Orleans LA, Baltimore MD, Detroit MI, and in 2014 the murder rate surpassed that of Honduras, the country with the highest murder rate in the world. In 2016 rankings showed it had the highest murder rate of any city in the U.S.
8XjZ TIL Gaius gracchus, the ancient roman politician, had a bounty put on his head to the price of the head’s weight in gold. Although the head was delivered, the prize was never paid, as it was discovered that Gaius’ captor had emptied out his brain and replaced it with molten lead.