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TIL 'Tarantula' is derived from the name of the Italian town Taranto, home of the dance called the tarentella. During the Middle Ages the tarentella was thought to be the way to cure the bite of a particular spider. The symptoms included exhibitionism, melancholia and delirium.

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pAW8 TIL a man in France impersonated a government official, and managed to sell the Eiffel Tower not once, but twice.
a8WwM TIL that in the original Polynesian myth, Māui dies after transforming into a worm and entering the vagina of the goddess Hine-nui-te-pō, who crushes him with the obsidian teeth in her vagina.
d8XmB TIL the first undisputed dog remains buried with a human are dated 14,700 years ago. Disputed remains go as far back as 36,000 years ago
JBbk TIL Jackie Chan broke twelve concrete blocks with his hand, while keeping the egg he was holding intact.
9wlO7 TIL Australian serial killer Ivan Milat lost 25kg from a failed hunger strike in prison when he was denied a PlayStation