› added 8 years ago

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TIL that 7th Century general Khalid bin al-Waleed swallowed poison to demonstrate how much of a hard-ass he was. Instantly shrugging it off because he’d built up resistance since childhood, his enemy immediately surrendered.

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M7NgA TIL that John Hinckley Jr., former attempted assassin of U.S. President Ronald Reagan, has since been released from prison, turned his life around, recovered from his mental illness, announced his own record label, and released his own music to the public.
gMj19 TIL the men's marathon is typically the only event in the Olympics where the medals are given as part of the closing ceremony rather than in an awards ceremony for the event. This is because the men's marathon is typically the last event in the Olympics.
Nxv8 TIL just before the Holocaust, Hitler offered 32 countries including the United States, Britain and Canada to take in Jews and let them leave peacefully “for all I [Hitler] care, even on luxury ships.” They all refused, leading to Hitler’s ‘Final Solution.’
x6lM7 TIL that van Gogh's rendering of the stars in Café Terrace at Night is so precise that the painting can be dated within a day or two of its creation.
XEAVR TIL Lake Superior's Isle Royale has a lake (Siskiwit) which also has an island (Ryan) which has a seasonal pond (Moose Flats) which contains Moose Boulder making it the largest island in the largest lake on the largest island in the largest lake on the largest island in the largest lake in the world