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TIL, before recordings were available, music stores employed song pluggers. These people were pianists or singers that would play any song on request so patrons could have a preview before buying the sheet music.

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WkKPY TIL Radioactive Spark Plugs were sold in the 1940s under the theory the radiation made the engine run better.
KAba TIL that inscribed pottery from the Middle Kingdom of Egypt list three human genders.
5YmGQ TIL that "Letterlocking" was a technique used widely from the 13-18th centuries to fold and secure correspondence in such a way to prevent tampering during transit. A letterlocked paper, sealed with wax, becomes its own envelope. Video link is an example by MIT prof who has researched the practice.
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