› added 3 years ago

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TIL that the use of mistletoe as a Christmas decoration derives from a Norse myth. Norse god, Balder's only weakness was the mistletoe plant. On learning this Loki, the god of mischief carved arrows from the branches of plant which were used to kill Odin's son.

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via reddit.com

4XrR5 TIL about Mongolian surgeon Sergelen Orgoi who developed low cost liver transplant technique which cost only 3-5k usd only.
yQl7J TIL that a French town honored a toilet as a war hero for over 25 years. The town's mayor showed General Patton a grave in 1917, unaware that it said 'Abandoned Rear', meaning a latrine. When Patton came back during World War 2, the latrine was still being maintained as a hero's grave.
k0Xe TIL While playing a game of Chess in France, Benjamin Franklin took his opponent’s King after she inadvertently put it in check. When she said, “Ah, we don’t take kings so” Franklin replied, “We do in America.”
mxm6p TIL that a group of orcas (aka killer whales) will attack an adult blue whale, simply for their own entertainment. They have virtually no chance of killing it, nor do they really try.
yQmn8 TIL Donald Duck systematically gets a portion of the votes in Finnish elections.