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Fort Knox currently holds roughly four thousand metric tons of gold bullion, but the United States government legally values this massive hoard at a statutory rate of exactly…
Fort Knox currently holds roughly four thousand metric tons of gold bullion, but the United States government legally values this massive hoard at a statutory…
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Shigeru Miyamoto drew the core inspiration for The Legend of Zelda from his childhood experiences of wandering around the countryside near his home in Kyoto and bravely exploring dark, unknown caves with a lantern.
Shigeru Miyamoto drew the core inspiration for The Legend of Zelda from his childhood experiences of wandering around the countryside near his home in Kyoto…
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YouTube was originally conceived in 2005 as a video-based dating website named Tune In Hook Up, designed to let singles upload clips of themselves talking about their hobbies to attract potential partners.
YouTube was originally conceived in 2005 as a video-based dating website named Tune In Hook Up, designed to let singles upload clips of themselves talking…
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Edgar Allan Poe became owner of the Broadway Journal in 1845, giving the famously combative critic a publication of his own.
Edgar Allan Poe became owner of the Broadway Journal in 1845, giving the famously combative critic a publication of his own. His attacks on other writers,…
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A tissue sample can hide the very spaces scientists want to see.
A tissue sample can hide the very spaces scientists want to see. In 2018, researchers used live microscopic imaging and carefully preserved samples to…
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Casey Kasem drew a line at Shaggy advertising meat.
Casey Kasem drew a line at Shaggy advertising meat. The longtime Scooby-Doo voice actor, a vegetarian, left the role after a proposed Burger King commercial.…
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The first fatal powered-airplane crash injured Orville Wright.
The first fatal powered-airplane crash injured Orville Wright. During a U.S. Army demonstration in 1908, Orville's aircraft crashed, killing passenger…
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New York City spent over four billion dollars constructing the World Trade Center Oculus, making it the most expensive train station ever built, and its roof immediately began leaking.
New York City spent over four billion dollars constructing the World Trade Center Oculus, making it the most expensive train station ever built, and its roof…
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Self-made billionaire narrative is largely a beautifully constructed mythological public relations campaign, as recent economic studies consistently show that the vast majority…
Self-made billionaire narrative is largely a beautifully constructed mythological public relations campaign, as recent economic studies consistently show that…
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Pullman passengers helped pay the porter's wages.
Pullman passengers helped pay the porter's wages. The company's largely Black porter workforce depended on tips to supplement low salaries. A 1915 comparison…
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Twilight's baseball scene inherited a band from the author's playlist.
Twilight's baseball scene inherited a band from the author's playlist. Stephenie Meyer's enthusiasm for Muse helped put the band on director Catherine…
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Assassin's Creed Origins made animation give way to your commands.
Assassin's Creed Origins made animation give way to your commands. Ubisoft describes a shift from animation-driven movement to input-driven movement with…
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Gunther's actor really knew his way around an espresso machine.
Gunther's actor really knew his way around an espresso machine. James Michael Tyler was working as a barista when he began appearing at Central Perk on…
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Skateboard wheels used to be made out of actual clay or steel, turning a simple ride down the sidewalk into an extreme, bone-shattering sport.
Skateboard wheels used to be made out of actual clay or steel, turning a simple ride down the sidewalk into an extreme, bone-shattering sport. The…
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American version of The Office filmed its pilot episode in an actual active office building in Culver City rather than a soundstage, using real fluorescent lighting to make it look as depressing as physically possible.
American version of The Office filmed its pilot episode in an actual active office building in Culver City rather than a soundstage, using real fluorescent…
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Victorian fashion put arsenic in the fabric.
Victorian fashion put arsenic in the fabric. Some brilliant green dyes contained arsenic. The danger began long before a customer wore the dress: workers…
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Hedy Lamarr helped design a radio signal that kept changing channels.
Hedy Lamarr helped design a radio signal that kept changing channels. Working with composer George Antheil, she patented a system in which transmitter and…
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Ford's first car needed a bigger exit than its workshop had.
Ford's first car needed a bigger exit than its workshop had. Henry Ford built the Quadricycle in a shed behind his Detroit home in 1896. To get the finished…
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One tower holds much of an Alaskan town.
One tower holds much of an Alaskan town. Begich Towers in Whittier is a fourteen-story former military building converted into a residential hub. The town's…
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A 1968 demo let viewers watch someone edit and navigate text live.
A 1968 demo let viewers watch someone edit and navigate text live. Doug Engelbart and his team demonstrated an interactive system in which a user could change…
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Daniel Dunglas Home was the most famous mystical medium of the nineteenth century because he allegedly possessed the ability to levitate out of windows and casually float around…
Daniel Dunglas Home was the most famous mystical medium of the nineteenth century because he allegedly possessed the ability to levitate out of windows and…
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Las Vegas Strip shoots a beam of light from the Luxor pyramid so intensely bright that it can be seen from space, but its real achievement is functioning as the world's most effective bug zapper.
Las Vegas Strip shoots a beam of light from the Luxor pyramid so intensely bright that it can be seen from space, but its real achievement is functioning as…
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Victorian mourners obsessed with the afterlife combined their grief with a macabre sense of fashion by crafting elaborate, intricate jewelry out of the actual hair of their…
Victorian mourners obsessed with the afterlife combined their grief with a macabre sense of fashion by crafting elaborate, intricate jewelry out of the actual…
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Barbie let players print clothes for a real doll.
Barbie let players print clothes for a real doll. The 1996 game Barbie Fashion Designer took an unusual route out of the computer: players designed outfits,…
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