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TIL a man named Ed Thorpe figured out how to count cards in blackjack before anyone else. He then used his winnings and his quantitative strategies to open one of the most successful hedgefunds of all time. Oh—he also invented the first wearable computer!

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WkeGo TIL In the ancient Roman city of Puteoli there was an octopus that would sneak into kitchens through the sewer and eat pickled fish.
R7LW7 TIL when a woman accidentally dropped her $4000 engagement ring in the cup of a street beggar, he did not sell it and instead returned it to her. In return, the woman raised $190,000 for him.
R5Mpa TIL that Klaus Barbie, also known as The Butcher of Lyon, was a Nazi officer during World War II. After the war, United States intelligence services, aided his escape to Bolivia, where he advised the regime on how to repress opposition through torture.
epPD5 TIL that Pope Adrian II (who ruled from 867 to 872) lived in the Lateran Palace with his wife Stephania and his daughter until they were murdered by a relative of the Papal librarian
vdQR TIL that in the rest of the world, a “Yankee” is an American. In America, a “Yankee” is a Northerner. In the North, a “Yankee” is a New Englander. In New England, a “Yankee” is a Vermonter. And in Vermont, a “Yankee” is someone who eats pie for breakfast.