› added 8 years ago

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TIL in 1958, as an experiment, Bank of America mailed 60,000 residents of Fresno, California a small plastic card with a $500 credit line. BoA figured if it failed, there’d be no media coverage because it was in Fresno. The experiment was hugely successful and the program became Visa.

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rNnVo TIL Denim blue fabric (jeans) originated in the 17th century in Europe as a blend of French technology and Italian craftsmanship.
5Yr4R TIL: When city council denied a permit to build on empty lot, a London man applied for a permit for a tank. Thinking it was a water storage container, council approved. Instead the man bought a Russian T-34 tank, parked it on his property and pointed the gun towards the city planning office.
YxkA TIL David Prowse, the actor who played Darth Vader didn’t know Vader said ‘I am your father’ until the film’s premier and has seen little or no royalties from Return of the Jedi
rRwAo TIL that the plagues of the Middle Ages have made around 10% of Europeans resistant to HIV. These individuals carry a genetic mutation (known as CCR5-Ä32) that prevents the virus from entering the cells of the immune system. The plagues of the Middle Ages played a part in creating these mutations.
7rrj7 TIL on July 5th 1916 the no.2 construction battalion was created and the only predominately African canadian battalion since confederation. It allowed black men who were previously turned away to enlist.