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TIL A casino's database was hacked through a smart fish tank thermometer

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pYJO8 TIL Sun Yat-sen's translator Dai Jitao had a son from an affair who he gave to Chiang Kai-shek for adoption to avoid scandal. The son, christened Chiang Wei-kuo, later led a Panzer division during Anschluss. He was called home to China to fight the Japanese just before Germany invaded Poland.
XEpVj TIL After 3 years at Harvard, Gabe Newell dropped out to join Microsoft in 1983. He later said: "I learned more in 3 months at Microsoft than in my entire time at Harvard"
Wk1P9 TIL ancient swords from 'Damascus' (Syria) dipped in 'Dragon's Blood,' as legend has it, were studied by scientists who further dipped the metal, 'wootz,' in hydrochloric acid to reveal, under an electron-microscope, nano-metre-sized tubes with a microstructure similar to modern carbon nanotubes.
a8N8y TIL During World War II the Ontario government tried to rename the small town of Swastika (named in 1906) to Winston. The locals responded by taking down the Winston sign and placing a new Swastika sign which read “To hell with Hitler, we came up with our name first.”
wLaOJ TIL Sharks have two penises named "claspers". When inserted into the female they open like an umbrella and its calcified protrusions "hook" the female. Only one is used during copulation.