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TIL in the 1970s, France acted as Saddam Hussein's "chief arms broker"; they sold $25billion in weapons to Iraq of which most was advanced fighters and missiles (close to $100bil in today's money)

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4Xld6 TIL about 'baby hatches', places where mothers can safely and anonymously abandon their newborns (usually in hospitals or churches). In Germany, babies abandoned in this way are looked after for 8 weeks, during which time, the mother can 'reclaim' her child without legal repercussions.
awZao TIL that Beethoven's 5th became known as the victory symphony because of the allied forces "V for victory" slogan during WW2. After noticing that the first four notes of the symphony sound like the morse code for the letter V, the BBC played that motif on the timpani before every wartime broadcast.
Py6V TIL Andrew Jackson’s inauguration party at the White House was open to the public. A rowdy crowd of thousands caused major damage, and were only lured outside by bowls of alcoholic punch, which were placed on the White House lawn.
epKOL TIL that in Japanese Folklore, rain falling from a clear sky, also known as a sunshower, is called kitsune no yomeiri or the kitsune's wedding! The event is a good omen, but the Kitsune will seek revenge on uninvited guests!
N79kE TIL there is a furniture company in Houston that serves free breakfast, lunch, and dinner to their employees. Employees' children also have access to a pre-school and a high school plus a trade school for themselves, all free and on the premise.