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TIL of the Ceremony of the Keys which is carried out every night at exactly 9:53 pm at the Tower of London and is believed to be the oldest military ceremony in the world. Originating in the Middle Ages it has never once been cancelled though it was delayed once during WWII due to enemy action.

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Oopx4 TIL a popular tale about the origin of the americano coffee drink is that American GIs stationed in Italy during WWII found espressos too bitter and cappuccinos too heavy compared to dip-brewed coffee from back home, so Italian baristas topped the espresso with hot water to make it more palatable
JXoQ TIL that during a siege, the viking legend Harald Hardrada fell sick, faked his death, and had his men convince the enemy to bury him inside the castle. As they entered, they dropped the casket, took up arms and conquered the castle
x6QmB TIL that houseflies can get addicted to Nictotine and Cocaine. In smoker's homes, house and fruit flies will change their evolutionary behaviors to seek out cigarette smoke, even though nicotine is extremely toxic to them
QNEvE TIL The Page Act of 1875 barred entry of Asian immigrants suspected of entering the US involuntarily or for sex work. In practice, the law targeted Chinese women by appealing to a common stereotype that they were prostitutes and dangerous to the institution of marriage.
4GOX TIL the film ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ was considered a box office failure upon release in 1946. A clerical error placed the film in the public domain in 1974 causing many local TV networks to play the film for free, popularising it as a Christmas classic.