› added 9 years ago

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TIL the company behind ITT Tech was once one of the biggest conglomerates on Earth. They grossed $8 Billion in 1970, were heavily involved in the Brazilian and Chilean coupes, and were recently fined $100 Million for violations of the Arms Export Control Act.

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xVYQo TIL Nazi anthropologists tried to infiltrate US Indian Reservations both to study the languages for decryption but also deter enlistment, assuming that because of past history, they would rather revolt than be drafted. Not only did it not work, it may have backfired increasing the enlistment overall
pBQe TIL There is an island called Socotra and it has 825 rare species of plants, 90% of its reptile species and 95% of its land snail species do not occur anywhere else in the world.
oBE5L TIL: Figure Skating got its name from skaters' abilities to trace patterns on the ice to be judged for motor control and accuracy. The rise of broadcasting the sport made the art difficult to follow on TV, so tracing was dropped in 1991, and younger athletes began winning based on difficult leaping.
DPDg TIL that when notorious murderer Carl Panzram was sentenced to death, he refused to appeal and threatened to kill any activists who attempted to intervene on his behalf
drEZ TIL in 1955, Hugh Hefner agreed to publish in Playboy a short story about straight men being persecuted in a world where homosexuality was the norm. In response to the criticism, Hefner replied, “If it was wrong to persecute heterosexuals in a homosexual society then the reverse was wrong, too.”