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TIL in 1984, two masked men kidnapped the president of Glico, the maker of Pocky, naked from his house for ransom. The president later escaped but the men were never caught. They later taunted police in letters and called themselves The Monster with 21 Faces

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1YP8 TIL a mexican diplomat named Gilberto Bosques Saldivar rescued 40,000 people, mainly Spaniards and Jews, who wanted to flee Nazi occupied France during WW2. His heroism remained unknown to the world at large for some sixty years.
KOepR TIL that in 1969, a civil war in Nigeria held a ceasefire for a couple of days to watch a match of Pelé’s Santos. The governor decreted a holiday and opened the city’s bridge without any restrictions so everyone could watch the game.
gMGP7 TIL Ethanol works as an antiknock agent just as well as tetraethyllead (TEL) when blended in fuel at 20-30%. General Motors decided to go with TEL instead of ethanol because it was patentable and thus profitable. Internal memos showed they knew of TEL alternatives but publicly denied them.
8aOWb TIL of Singapore, Michigan, a ghost town buried beneath the shores of Lake Michigan after complete deforestation removed its protection from the surrounding sand dunes
Q7gp TIL Mexican General Santa Anna had an elaborate state funeral for his amputated leg. Ironically, soon after the funeral, his new prosthetic leg was seized by Americans as a war trophy and is still on display at the Illinois State Military Museum.