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TIL that Moby Dick is based on a real-life male sperm whale named Mocha Dick. He reportedly destroyed more than 20 whaling ships and escaped another 80 in the early 19th century before being killed.

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gM1n7 TIL In 2004 street artist Banksy printed counterfeit 10 pound notes with Princess Diana's face replacing the Queen's and threw them into crowds. They were soon worth over 200 pounds each.
VMRa8 TIL, Nadezhda Durova (1783-1866), daughter of a Russian Army Officer, disguised herself as a man, serving in a Cavalry Regiment during the Napoleonic Wars. She was the first recorded Female Officer in the Russian army, and was awarded the Cross of St George for bravery under fire.
nwr7 TIL the biggest explosion before the atom bomb, was caused on accident, killed 2k, injured 9k, launched an anchor of a ship flying over 2 miles, exposed the harbour floor, and reached heat over 9000 degrees
PYv7g TIL that Gilles de Rais, known for being a former ally of Joan of Arc who was executed for occultism and murdering 600 children, may have been the victim of a plot by the Catholic Church and/or the French state. No corpses were found at his estate and the prosecutor used the trial to seize his land.
4XN8w TIL Mel Gibson made more than $395 million from “The Passion of The Christ”, an epic biblical film he self-financed by $30 million.