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TIL that to decide who would become the monarch of the Persian Empire (44% of world population), six nobles decided on a test. They were to gather outside the palace, mounted on their horses at sunrise, and the man whose horse neighed first in recognition of the rising sun would become king.

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NXAgM TIL more people die from drowning in deserts than from dehydration.
nWvXG TIL that Charles V, at the height of his reign, controlled Spain, southern Italy, the Holy Roman Empire, Burgundy, and Spanish America. This was the first empire to called "the empire on which the sun never sets".
M7JA TIL The assassination of Julius Caesar had the exact opposite of its intended effect. He was killed by Senators upset with him declaring himself dictator and eroding the Republic. But he was so popular his death caused rioting, Civil War, and the permanent installation of an Emperor.
d8A0j TIL the CIA once failed at bribing Mr Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, which was then relatively undeveloped. After he revealed this in an interview, the US denied the incident. In a rage, Mr LKY revealed a letter he received from then US Secretary of State and threatened to disclose further information.
O9Pg TIL that in Rocky Horror Picture Show the red triangle Dr. Frank ‘n’ Furter wears over his heart was used by the Nazis in concentration camps to denote that the wearer was a gay man, but it was pointing downward. He wore it pointing upward, which is often used as a symbol of gay pride….