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TIL that Finland is the fifth most happiest country according to the world happiness report

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via ift.tt

GYoJg TIL That the CIA not only tried to assassinate Fidel Castro literally but also tried their hand in character assassination including using thallium salts to attempt to destroy his famous beard
jNY1M TIL that a 12-minute Hobbit "movie" was made in 1967 because the production company was about to lose the film rights unless a movie was released. It was produced quickly and cheaply, released on the very last day the rights would expire. Tolkien had to pay $100,000 to get the rights back.
0d0Gj TIL that knocking on wood was a thing because people believed that spirits lived in trees and knocking would prevent them from bad luck. (scroll a bit for the right part.)
v1AG7 TIL about Sarah Knauss, who was the oldest verified American ever, dying at age 119 on December 30, 1999. Her age was verified with the help of an 1891 US Census directory, a 1900 US Census entry, a 1901 marriage certificate, and both 1910 and 1930 US Census entries. All of these confirm her age.
m11JP TIL that the bar scenes in “Passengers” (2016) pays homage to the bar in the Overlook Hotel in the “The Shining” (1980). The look and layout is similar and both “barmen” wearing red are not human.