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TIL in 1974 a Washington lawyer circulated a theory that ‘elites’ had raided all the gold from the United States Bullion Depository in Fort Knox. Members of the media were given access in order refute the theory. It is the only time a member of the public has been allowed inside the vault.

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wLreP TIL that the term “spook” was a popular slur for black people during WII. Its use was especially prevalent in the military. Nazi Germany’s Air Force was called the “Luftwaffe” so some people referred to the African-American Tuskegee Airmen as the “Spookwaffe”, including the pilots themselves.
9wxb7 TIL that gun manufactures lobbied for legal immunity from lawsuits, successfully passing the "PLCAA" in 2005
XExn8 TIL that out of all the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan is the deadliest because of it's unpredictable weather and abnormally high number of rip currents
VBnEm TIL about "Edison's Conquest of Mars" - an 1898 novel where Thomas Edison kicked alien ass in an unauthorized sequel to "The War of the Worlds." Among its MANY sci-fi inventions: First use of spacesuits, alien abductions, space wars, asteroid mining, and aliens building the Pyramids.
OyaX TIL There was a “Back to the Future” animated series that ran from 1991-1992. The show was not popular, but it featured live-action segments where Christopher Lloyd would teach viewers how to do an experiment, and Bill Nye was his assistant. The segment ultimately led to “Bill Nye the Science Guy”.