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TIL In 1987, a guy bought a lifetime unlimited first class American Airlines ticket for $250,000. He flew over 10,000 flights costing the company $21,000,000. They terminated his ticket in 2008.

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mxnKp TIL between 33K and 55K Canadians fought in the American Civil War. 29 were awarded Medals of Honor, one was a noted Union Spy, and one was a Union Army officer who formed and led the detachment that captured and killed John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Lincoln.
kO7dW TIL when Tay Zonday made the "Chocolate Rain" video, he was doing PhD studies at the University of Minnesota in theater history & social change. He said: "I wrote 'Chocolate Rain' as a serious social commentary, but people re-sang the song with their own lyrics, often for the sake of comedy."
XPBQ TIL that the Pentagon is developing a “combat chewing gum” to help soldiers maintain dental hygiene in the field. It is expected to save the Army $100million per year in dental services.
0LBj TIL in 1993 when a US Military food scientist was asked what should be used in the pictograph instructions to prop up the heater of their new “Meal, Ready-to-Eat” rations, he replied “I don’t know. Let’s make it a rock or something.” The rock illustration and the iconic phrase remain on MREs today.
BgVgb TIL The Persians had ancient refrigerators called "yakhchals" to preserve the ice and keep it cold underground until the summer, the yakhchal also had a ventilation system that allowed the cold air to enter and the warm air to escape, keeping the temperature inside low.