› added 4 years ago

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TIL Public news stations are legally required to play political campaign ads AS IS, even if they include libelous or blatantly false information.

Read more fcc.gov

via reddit.com

ADrJg TIL that in 1806 Andrew Jackson challenged a man to a duel after he made fun of his wife and wrote a letter to a newspaper calling him a "coward". Jackson ended up winning but got shot in the chest, and as a result had a bullet stuck near his heart for the rest of his life.
grlGA TIL that in the late 1800s, many farmers in the American midwest believed that strong vibrations in the air helped rainclouds form, akin to shaking the branches of a wet tree. This led many to set off dynamite explosives at high altitudes in order to bring rain for their crops.
nWxdG TIL Some of the reasons people drive aggressively include a sense of anonymity while driving, feeling more empowered driving than in the rest of their lives, and a feeling that other drivers have previously driven aggressively around them.
OovXe TIL an American entrepreneur and magnate ran as an independent Presidential candidate in 1872, and later ran for the position of dictator of the USA, drawing record crowds to campaign rallies (despite charging an admission fee). Instead of shaking hands with other people, he shook hands with himself
loAYA TIL about singer and pioneer sound recording artist George W. Johnson, born in 1846, who sold more than 25.000 wax cylinders. Since every recording was a "master" back then, he would record the same song over and over with several recording devices pointed at him, sometimes fifty or more times a day