› added 5 years ago

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TIL in 1977, the Church of Scientology tried to assassinate an author who was critical of them.

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R7Wg7 TIL that John Fogarty was sued by Fantasy Records for copyright infringement because his song (the 1984 hit "The Old Man Down The Road") sounded too much like CCR's 1970's hit "Run Through The Jungle", a song that Fogarty wrote and produced.
lo7ZG TIL "bangers" from "bangers and mash" got its name due to the fact that sausages made during World War I had such a high water content that they would explode when cooked under high heat.
KYMV9 TIL that the last queen of Madagascar befriended a French magician who was secretly employed as a spy. While performing in her court, he aided the French conquest of her nation.
8eEBb TIL it is possible to convert heat directly into electricity, with something called a Thermionic Generator. Humans are unfortunately not great at building them (yet).
6Egwm TIL a poisonous tree and its antidote often grow so close together that their roots intertwine. The Chemchem tree excretes a poisonous black sap that raises a blistering rash on the skin while its counterpart, the Chaka tree, offers chemical compounds that can counteract the rash.