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TIL the phrase “cut off your nose to spite your face” refers to a group of 9th century nuns who, to avoid being raped by Viking invaders, sliced off their noses and upper lips, thus exposing the teeth and gums. It kept them from being raped - but not from being burned alive.

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rNdko TIL that Groucho Marx had several “last words” before his death. Some had thought it was “either I’m dead or my watch has stopped,” whilst others believed it to be “die, my dear? why that’s the last thing I’ll do!” His actual last words were “this is no way to live.”
0k41 TIL that in rural Georgia, there are still “Whites Only” school functions, where non-whites are turned away by the police. In 2013, Wilcox County High School will be having its first integrated prom.
D19Y TIL the term “white trash” was invented by blacks as a racial epithet against whites too poor to own slaves.
x4g7 TIL the Voyager missions were launched when they did to take advantage of a unique planetary arrangement that allowed flight time to Neptune to be reduced from 30 years to 12. This alignment occurs every 175 years.
E1nkp TIL of a phenomenon where during TV commercial breaks, a large majority of Britain will decide to do things that drain electricity, such as the kettle, at the same time, thus causing 200-400MW demand on the grid