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TIL With a population of approximately 9.8 mil, L.A. County has a larger pop. than 40 of the 50 U.S. states and the populations of Wyoming, Vermont, D.C., Alaska, North and South Dakota, Delaware, Rhode Island, Montana, and Maine combined.

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0wMbv TIL there is no constitutional requirement for a U.S. State to hold presidential elections. A State legislature can theoretically just handpick its presidential electors.
PYb8n TIL the Olympics used to award medals for arts (literature, architecture, painting etc). Between 1912-1948 a total of 151 medals were awarded - the tradition was brought in because the Ancient Greeks used to hold art events alongside the games.
m10Xv TIL: Cat burning was a form of entertainment in 17th century France; people used to gather dozens of cats in a net and hoist them high into the air from a special bundle onto a bonfire
KY6nE TIL that during a meeting between Grover Cleveland and James Roosevelt, Cleveland said to Roosevelt's accompanying son, Franklin, “My little man, I am making a strange wish for you; that you may never be president of the United States.” The young Franklin Roosevelt became President 45 years later.
rpbx TIL that Pumpernickel means “devil’s fart”. Originating in Germany, the bread was called that due to the digestive problems that many people experienced from eating it.