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TIL NASCAR racing started in Appalachia, where moonshiners would modify their cars to outrun law enforcement. They studied aerodynamics, and would rig cars with the ability to drop nails, oil, or clouds of smoke to hinder police.

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XEZl6 TIL when Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017, multi-millionaire pastor Joel Osteen initially refused to open the doors of his megachurch as a shelter, instead offering prayers. When criticized, he claimed it was inaccessible due to floods, despite dozens of pictures proving otherwise.
yVr48 TIL that on hearing about Kristallnacht, Kaiser Willhelm II said from his exile "For the first time, I am ashamed to be a German".
NXy6b TIL that the political terms "left-wing" and "right-wing" originated during the French Revolution. From the front of the Assembly, the aristocracy sat on the right side (or right wing) of the room, and the commoners sat on the left side (or left wing) of the room.
b6mP7 TIL a depressed man built a secret room within his bedroom containing a homemade guillotine with a timer, took sleeping pills, and set the timer to kill himself without his father knowing what he was doing for months. He was successful.
bGW9 TIL that while on a visit to Poland, President Carter tried to tell the Polish people “I wish to learn your opinions and understand your desires for the future.” Instead, what he said translated to “I desire Poles carnally.”