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TIL Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping studied abroad in Paris at age 16 as well as in Moscow later on. He worked in a Renault plant, factories, and developed two lasting passions in France -- one was for croissants; the other was for communism

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pYvJ4 TIL that in the 18th century medical professionals used tobacco smoke enemas to treat ailments from the cold to cholera. Before the use of bellows became the norm the people administering the procedure needed to be careful if they started coughing and accidentally inhaling enema particulates.
AbQn TIL The song The Overload by Talking Heads was inspired by Joy Division. However, none of the members of Talking Heads had heard Joy Division’s music before the song was written or recorded, and it was instead inspired by what they imagined Joy Division sounded like, according to the music press.
4bVa TIL during a Queen concert in the 70s, a heckler shouted “you fucking poof” [gay slur] to Freddie Mercury during the middle of their set. Freddie responded by ordering the crew to turn the spotlight on the man, asking him to “Say it again, darling”. The heckler cowered in shame.
EG7x TIL when a man came to a clinic with a chronic infection in his left ear, doctors tried everything to help him from antibiotics to ear drops, but nothing worked. Out of desperation, he decided to take earwax from his good ear and place it in his bad one. After two days his infection was cured.
loAVN TIL that when a flickering torch is held up to prehistoric cave paintings they appear to "move." This has led some researchers to theorize that they were intentionally designed to create this effect, which would make them a precursor to modern cinema.