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TIL Despite the fact that Jesse Owens won four gold medals during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, US President Franklin Roosevelt never congratulated or invited him to the White House. ‘Hitler didn’t snub me - it was FDR who snubbed me,’ Owens said

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5Vg8B TIL that tipping and bribery are related, and countries with higher rates of tipping behavior also tended to have higher rates of corruption
b9NGp TIL of Mike, a cat who guarded the gates of the British Museum. He spent 20 years on the job, gaining notoriety for his disliking of females and dogs, and only allowing certain people to feed him. Even after retiring he occasionally chased off dogs, who reportedly "fled in terror" when he attacked.
nAm7 TIL When asked why he’d punched the man who’d hit him with a raw egg, UK politician John Prescott said that he was following Tony Blair’s orders to, “Connect with the electorate.”
Oo566 TIL that medieval dentists knew how to fill cavities, treat facial fractures, could spot oral cancer, and even knew the basics of whitening teeth. Evidence also suggests they knew how to create dentures out of cow bone and human teeth.
kN95 TIL that the band Keane originally came up with the band name Coldplay, but found it too depressing. Chris Martin asked if they could use it for his band, and Keane agreed.