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TIL that the word “rays” has the most homonyms, being one of seven words pronounced the same but spelled differently

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gEx9 TIL the phrase “Parthian Shot” refers to a military tactic of the ancient Parthians who would retreat at full gallop, turn around and fire a long bow at their enemies. There is actually controversy among etymologists as to whether “Parting Shot” is derived from this term.
4X1N5 TIL the whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is the champion among fish - it can reach a length of 13.5 m and a weight of 34 t! It is assumed that it can grow significantly more. It lives in the open waters of tropical oceans and it is rarely found in waters that have a temperature below 22 ° C.
wLQ1P TIL that the peak of TV attention can be assigned an exact date: Sunday, September 9, 1956, when Elvis Presley made his first appearance on television, on CBS’s Ed Sullivan Show. Its 82.6 percent share of US viewers has never been equaled or bettered.
dDxJZ TIL that legendary film director Francis Ford Coppola, director of cinematic greats The Godfather (1972) and Apocalypse Now (1979), also directed the critically panned family comedy, Jack (1996), about a boy trapped in a rapidly aging body, starring Robin Williams.
VBWA4 TIL about Shizo Kanakuri, a Japanese runner who dropped out of the 1912 Olympic race (he fell asleep during his rest mid-race), but returned 54 years later to officially finish it. Kanakuri joked: “It was a long trip. Along the way, I got married, had six children and 10 grandchildren.”