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TIL Dostoievsky's greatest joy was writing the character of 'Karazinov', in 'The Devils' (1872), a scurrilous portrait of his rival, the poet Turgenev. When a fire broke out on board a ship, Turgenev apparently rushed from one crewman to the next, screaming, "Save me! I am my mother's only son!".

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j6Kbn TIL Hexagons are the best shape for bees to build their honeycombs, because they save wax and space. Unlike circles or triangles, hexagons fit together without gaps and have the largest area for the smallest perimeter. This means bees can store more honey with less wall material.
WkEQX TIL it was unusual to wear a 'white' wedding dress before Queen Victoria made it fashionable
KPK4 TIL that Kim Jong Il ordered the kidnap of South Korean filmmaker Shin Sang-ok and his wife to make movies for North Korea. They gained Kim’s trust and allowed them to travel to Vienna, where they seeked asylum to US Embassy. Feared about their credibility, they secretly taped Kim’s voice prior.
x689D TIL In Western music, microtones are notes that deviate from the standard 12-note scale. These are the notes that can sound "flat" or "sharp" compared to the notes in the 12-note scale, like the "out-of-tune piano" part in the Beatles’ “Rocky Raccoon.”
Wjao TIL on October 24 1975, 90% of Iceland’s women refused to work, cook or look after children. Every ten years, on the anniversary of this initial strike, women stop all work to demonstrate their important positions and continue the struggle for equality.