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TIL Because the number 8 is considered very lucky in Chinese culture, a Chinese man spent the equivalent of $145,000 to secure a license plate reading ‘88888’ in the hope of increasing his luck. On his first day with the plate, he was pulled over 8 times by cops who thought the plate was a fake.

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VB6lD TIL the average person consumes about 5 grams of microplastics every week, roughly the weight of a credit card
b9O8E TIL in 1946 the Soviet Union built a secret city called City 40 to house workers of a nearby nuclear plant and their families. For decades the fenced city and its 100k inhabitants were officially non existent. Today the city is called Ozersk and it's been exposed to 5x the radiation of Chernobyl.
NXGoQ TIL of the disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi, a 15 year old Vatican teenager who disappeared while returning home from a flute lesson in Rome on 22nd June 1983. In January 2023, Vatican City opened an official investigation for the first time ever on the request of Pope Francis.
e0aR5 TIL Wineries in Israel are trying to recreate ancient wine, including the varities that Jesus may have drank. Researchers use techniques like DNA testing and three-dimensional scans of grape seeds found at archaeological digs to help identify these unique varieties
16beW TIL that a lot of soldiers during WW2 were using and abusing hard drugs. Japanese, American and British forces consumed large amounts of amphetamines, but the Germans were the most enthusiastic early adopters, pioneering pill-popping on the battlefield during the initial phases of the war.