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TIL diamonds aren’t rare; their demand is a marketing invention. In 1938 De Beers hired an ad agency who arbitrarily decided that a diamond engagement ring is worth 1 month’s salary. It worked so well they increased it to 2 months’ salary. De Beers carefully restricts supply to keep the prices high.

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YV1G TIL Obayashi Corporation has announced that it plans to build an elevator into space by the year 2050. the elevator would reach 96,000km (59,652 miles) into space. All this, the company said, can be achieved with the use of carbon nanotechnology, which they think will available by 2030.
epKrJ TIL the dreaded Emperor in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back was portrayed by Marjorie Eaton, an adorable little-old-lady 😍🥰!
x6po1 TIL that the first clear cola was White Coke, a clear variant of Coca-Cola produced in the 1940s at the request of Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov, who did not want to be seen drinking Coke as it was a symbol of American imperialism. The clear beverage was intended to resemble vodka.
M7gp0 TIL that if you're American, there is a roughly 87% chance you are the only person of your sex with your date of birth in your zip code. [PDF]
YmZG TIL Pistachios are prone to spontaneous combustion when stored in large quantities.