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92

TIL - in 1941 people in Northern California and Southwestern Oregon started a push to form a new US State called Jefferson. The counties for a couple weeks would "secede every Thursday," using rifles to interdict drivers on Route 99 and hand them copies of their proclamation of independence.

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gxjy TIL British gunboats were having problems being lit on fire during World War II, so they designed a special diesel engine with the cylinders in a DELTA configuration. The engine worked so well, it is still in service 70 years later, and is half the size of its competitors. But just a 5th the weight.
adPy TIL: Before Mating, the Female Giraffe Will First Urinate in the Male’s Mouth
OGJ44 TIL: There is a National Toy Hall of Fame, which recognizes toys and games which has sustained popularity and influence. As of 2023, 85 toys have been enshrined such as Barbie, Lego, the Frisbee, a cardboard box, the Game Boy, Chess, and a stick.
7rjL7 TIL that Eric Fletcher Waters, Roger Waters' father, was a pacifist who drove an ambulance during the Blitz. He later changed his stance on pacifism and went to fight in WWII. He was killed five months later, during the Battle of Anzio.
vPJAr TIL that Britain nearly abolished the pound in 1971. Officials considered replacing £1 (240 old pence) with a new unit worth half a pound (120 old pence), divided into 100 and called the "new pound", “royal” or “noble". The pound's reserve-currency status ultimately preserved it.