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TIL In 1797, Fath Ali Shah, the second Shah (king) of Qajar Iran, was given a complete set of the Encyclopædia Britannica's 3rd edition, which he read completely; after this feat, he extended his royal title to include "Most Formidable Lord and Master of the Encyclopædia Britannica.

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WkvXA TIL a Christian saint offered himself as a human sacrifice and was buried alive. He was later dug up and found to be still alive, but he uttered such words describing what of the afterlife he had seen and how it involved no heaven or hell, that he was ordered to be covered up again.
OG841 TIL Fanny Hill published in 1748 is considered is a pornographic book and one of the first porn novels ever written and is one of the most banned books in history. It has no explicit references to body parts but uses euphemisms instead e.g. nethermouth rather than vagina.
WkPl8 TIL Mary Poppins actress Julie Andrews was given the honor of hosting the opening of Walt Disney World on October 1st, 1971. October 1st is also Andrews' birthday.
d8dP7 TIL grasshoppers that live near a road evolve to call at a higher pitch than more rural grasshoppers so as to be heard over the traffic. This increases their chances of mating. Birds in noisier parts of cities also call at higher pitches than the same species of birds in quieter parts.
KO5ME TIL that the treadmill was first introduced as a Prison Rehabilitation Device, meant to cause the incarcerated to suffer and learn from their sweat. When Oscar Wilde was sentenced to 2 years in prison in 1895, he was forced to use a treadmill as part of his punishment.