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TIL that a German officer in WWII ordered his soldiers to hold fire to allow the rescue of an American soldier who stepped on a landmine. When no one came the officer went to rescue the soldier but stepped on a landmine himself.

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b9Kvj TIL about the "Dorset Biological Warfare Experiments" which involved spraying South Dorset (UK) with various chemicals and bacteria, without the knowledge or consent of the inhabitants. The experiments took place in the 60's and 70's to see how much spread could occur from one aircraft. Answer: lots
v1Z47 TIL that Mozart had an extreme dislike for the soprano Adriana Ferrarese del Bene. She had a strange tendency to bob her head to low and high notes, and knowing this, Mozart chose to fill her showpiece with constant harmonic leaps. He took great pleasure watching her bob her head "like a chicken".
XEXZQ TIL Ariana Grande was once caught up in a 'donut-licking scandal' at a Wolfee Donut Shop in California. After salivating on some donuts, she uttered "I hate Americans." The incident was investigated for health code violations. Grande later claimed it was in reference to America's obesity problem.
1anPd TIL 800 years before the Black Death, the same bacteria cause plague in the Byzantine Empire. At it's peak, the plague killed 5,000 per day in Constantinople.
loALa TIL One of the major themes of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is the dangers of the printing press destroying previous forms of art- namely architecture.