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TIL that as President-Elect, US Pres. James Buchanan improperly wrote to a Supreme Court justice asking him to vote pro-slavery in the Dred Scott case. The court would rule 7-2 that Scott was a possession, not a person, and denied his petition for freedom

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kOw5g TIL Japan's love of salmon as a sushi staple is a result of a successful Norwegian marketing campaign in 1986
5JJB TIL Quaker Oats bought the film rights to “Charlie & the Chocolate Factory”, financed its production, and changed the movie version’s name to “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” in order to promote a new candy bar- the Wonka Bar.
NZ1Q TIL The US is the only first world country that uses the electoral college for presidential elections.
Jobk TIL the inventor of the ATM originally envisioned 6-digit PIN codes, but his wife couldn’t remember more than 4 numbers, so that became the minimum and currently most popular length.
rbG0 TIL Lagunitas was temporarily shut down in 2005 because of weed - Story goes the CMO lit a “baton-sized” joint at a company party, and was immediately handcuffed by an undercover agent. Lagunitas later launched “Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale” and is now 1 of the US’ biggest craft breweries.