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TIL that the Exeter Book, written in the 10th century and commonly seen as a building block of English literature, has been used as both a cutting board and a coaster; the opening pages have deep knife marks, and several folios of the book are stained with a circular ring

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R7dm9 TIL that in the 19th century the theory that bad smells spread disease was widely accepted, therefore the population dumped human waste and garbage into the river to minimize odor in the streets. A particularly hot summer in London, 1858 caused what became known as "The Great Stink of 1858"
kLAg TIL that Thomas Jefferson proposed in 1784 to end slavery in all the territories, but his bill lost in Congress by one vote.
R7r6j TIL Tyler Perry’s films are so profitable because he uses his own studios (Tyler Perry Studios), which occupy two former Delta Air Lines affiliated buildings including over 200,000 sq ft. of sets and office space. The Walking Dead also utilizes Tyler Perry Studios to film scenes in The Kingdom.
neoXd TIL that there is a pseudo-medical credential called Pastoral Medicine (PSc.D or D.PSc), or "Bible-based" medicine, which is enabling people to call themselves "doctor" and treat patients in all 50 states and 30 countries.
x6bG0 TIL that the coco de mer, a palm tree species found in the Seychelles archipelago, was believed in legend to have sex on stormy nights, due to the male trees' catkins looking like penises and females' fruits looking like butts. The legend states those who see the trees screwing will go blind.