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TIL in 1836, when Nikolai Gogol presented his play The Government Inspector, focusing on a corrupt mayor tries to cover up his own corruption and bribe a visitor he mistakes as an inspector, the tsar personally overruled the censors and had it staged as a warning to officials.

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kJBVm TIL The Arabian Oryx became extinct in the wild by the early 1970s, but was saved in zoos and private reserves, and was reintroduced into the wild starting in 1980. In 2011, it was the first animal to revert to vulnerable status on the IUCN Red List after previously being listed as extinct
WkALA TIL of the SS Morro Castle, a cruise ship that suffered a disastrous fire during a nor'easter off NJ in 1934, killing 137. The cause of the fire was never discovered, but some believe it was intentionally started by the Chief Radio Operator, who was later convicted of two murders and a bombing.
ONYa TIL 1983 blockbuster WarGames (Matthew Broderick) caused President Reagan to ask national security officials if this type of “hacking” was possible; Gen. Vessey replied “The problem is much worse than you think.” This influenced national security policy, ARPAnet, & ultimately the modern Internet
rWMy TIL that a typical F1’s steering wheel can have more than 35 buttons, switches, levers and lights
YpZPd TIL that in the Garfield comic strip, Jon originally had a roommate named Lyman, who was also Odie's owner. He stopped appearing after a few years. Cartoonist Jim Davis has never confirmed what happened to him--all he's said on the subject is "Don't look in Jon's basement!"