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TIL when Sequoyah invented the Cherokee syllabary (making reading and writing in Cherokee possible) it became the only time in recorded history that a member of a non-literate people independently created an effective writing system.

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X06pE TIL the release of T. Rex's hit single "Get it On" ended the once-solid friendship between Marc Bolan and John Peel: Peel made clear his lack of enthusiasm for the song on air after playing his advance white label copy. They only spoke once more before Bolan's death in 1977.
pYPlA TIL California has a higher GDP than all of Africa combined.
eLy4 TIL that the fastest red card in a football match was given too Lee Todd in just 2 seconds for saying “Fuck me that was loud” when the Ref blew his whistle
orPR TIL the first Olympic flag went missing for 77 years after the 1920 games until a 1920 olympian revealed he’d had it in his suitcase the whole time
yQ7ow TIL Sihanoukville is Cambodia's sole deep water port. The French colonial administration preferred to use Saigon for international trade and the Mekong River for further distribution. Thus Cambodia's access to high sea's trade was via the Mekong which required passage through Vietnamese territory