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TIL the Black Plague in the 13th century was thought to be contagious through air because of the bad stench it made, so incense and perfumes were used to "cure" it.

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a4RM TIL in 1995, when looking through the manuscripts of Carl Koller at the Library of Congress, a German historian found a small envelope of cocaine with the note: “Remainder of the first dose with which I made my initial cocaine experiment in 1884”
RbVQ TIL that Nehru rejected permanent membership for India on the UN Security Council to keep India out of Cold War politics
GAeyG TIL of the Socorro springsnail. This critically endangered snail only remains in a single New Mexico spring, which is on private property; since the owner has denied access since 1995, the current population and status of the species is unknown.
N5LJ TIL some of the original Playstation 1 games had the game music set as CD audio, meaning you could listen to the game music from a normal CD player. Some games contained hidden tracks that could only be accessed this way.
E1oYX TIL that Samuel L Jackson wanted a purple lightsaber so he would be noticeable in Attack of the Clones, and that he has the prop at home with, "Bad Mother f***er," inscribed in the hilt of it.