› added 5 years ago

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TIL Chuck E. Cheese was originally a division of Atari. It was the pet project of Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, who wanted to expand video game arcades beyond more adult locations like pool halls to a child- and family-friendly venue.

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KxmB TIL In 1998, a NY couple, Donald and Mildred Othmer, bequeathed $800 million to various institutions. Donald was a professor, Mildred a former teacher, they had no children and lived modestly. But back in the 60s, they invested their savings with an old family friend from Omaha, Warren Buffet.
6ElJw TIL Around 40,000 Irish fought for the Confederate Army in the US Civil War
4XgjJ TIL that Austro-Hungarian officer Gunther Burstyn produced and patented the design for what would've been the world's first tank in 1911. Both the Germans and Austro-Hungarians rejected his designs due to a perception that such a vehicle was unnecessary in the near future.
kOAw4 TIL on 1 May 1950 Mosinee, WI staged a communist take over where the mayor was dragged from his bed and "surrendered". The excitement caused him to have a heart attack, killing him 5 days later. The local minister also died after showing how he would hide a Bible from communists in a church organ.
PvlG TIL in 1997, a student won first prize when 43 out of 50 of his classmates (86%) voted to ban the chemical dihydrogen monoxide because it caused “excessive sweating & urination,” among other effects. His project showed misleading terms can lead to false conclusions among the public.