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TIL the bedchamber sword of 18th century Indian ruler Tipu Sultan became the most expensive Indian or Islamic object ever sold at auction when it sold for $17.4 million last year. Its hilt is decorated with gold calligraphy and "the sword of the ruler" is inscribed in Persian on its blade.

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9wVmQ TIL that The Shawshank Redemption initially bombed at the box office.
YDMv TIL that, outside of Washington, D.C., a Virginia man built a castle to be fully defensible in the case of nuclear Armageddon. Built entirely by its owner, it has three heating systems and a maze of underground conduits, and it has been used as a meeting place for a group of self-professed vampires.
YppD7 TIL of Mt Elbert and Mt Massive, the tallest mountains in Colorado and so close in height, people keep building rock piles on one or the other to make it the tallest.
oBKOA TIL: Vasa Syndrome, a term for problems in communication and management that can cause projects to fail, is named after the Vasa, one of the largest and most spectacular warships ever built, which sank in 1628 on its maiden voyage because it was too unstable to withstand a gust of wind.
VwyQ TIL that Wild Bill Hickok always had a personal rule to never play poker with his back facing the door. The one time he did, he was shot in the back of the head and killed.