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TIL the United Kingdom holds the record for the number of 2nd place finishes in the Eurovision song contest. Ireland holds the record for the number of wins, and Norway holds the record for being the worst performing country.

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X0j5r TIL in 2009 a couple in Colorado claimed their son had been blown away in a homemade balloon, starting a statewide manhunt that gained worldwide attention. It was later revealed to be an elaborate hoax as their child was hiding in their home. The incident led to criminal charges for the parents.
E1BPp TIL Julian Casablancas is credited for writing all lyrics and instrument parts for The Strokes' first three albums for which he offered to split all royalties with the rest of the band.
6EBxw TIL a filmmaker shot a soap opera web series called IKEA Heights entirely inside a Burbank, California IKEA without their permission. The creator of the show noticed that the well-lit sets and difficulty in getting the attention of employees made it an ideal location to film a show.
kOrx7 TIL of the Swastika Laundry, an Irish business founded in 1912 that had the swastika as its company logo. The symbol was meant to reference the ancient Indian symbol of good luck and had no Nazi ties. The company, logo and all, remained in operation until the late 80s.
PY5EG TIL that the Byzantine emperor Basil II captured over 15,000 Bulgars. He ordered 99% of the prisoners to have both of their eyes gouged out, and left the 1% with one eye left to guide the others back to their king. This is how Basil earned the title "the Bulgar Slayer"