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TIL that before Lincoln Center could reward David Geffen's $100 Million donation by renaming "Avery Fisher Hall" to "David Geffen Hall", they had to pay the heirs of Fisher - the original donor - $15 million. Geffen's donation has a provision that requires his name to be on the hall "in perpetuity".

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wo1kY TIL an 18th century French glutton was hired as a spy to swallow and smuggle military intel in a wooden box. After being captured by the Prussians, he was forced to "pass" the box, only for his captors to find a useless test message inside.
vPPlB TIL of Brucellosis, a disease that spreads by eating or even just inhaling bacteria from infected animals or unpasteurized dairy products. It has many symptoms, from joint pain to liver damage to depression, and was the first disease ever weaponized by the United States for bio-warfare.
b97l0 TIL Trees in forests have an underground communication and interaction system driven by fungal networks. “Mother trees” pass on information for best growth patterns and can divert nutrients to trees in need, and they are more likely to pass them on to trees of their own species.
QNp6L TIL The group of assassins that entered the chambers of Byzantine Nicephoros Phocas intenting to kill him, initialy panicked because they didn't see him in his bed as they expected. The emperor, a known ascetic, prefered to sleep on the floor next to his royal bed, surrounded by his religious icons
Vdmm TIL in Switzerland, a group of citizens may challenge a law passed by Parliament if they gather 50,000 signatures against the law within 100 days. A national vote is scheduled where voters decide by a simple majority whether to accept or reject the law.