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TIL the first gladiatorial game of Ancient Rome was held in the city's cattle market in 264 BCE, where funeral celebrations for a former consul included combat between six war captives. Initially competitions of courage to honor the dead, gladiator matches were not publicly sponsored for 160 years.

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l7jYA TIL that the smallest functional motorcycle in the world is called ‘Smalltoe.’ Tom Wiberg, from Sweden, built Smalltoe, which stood at 2.55 inches tall and weighed a mere 2.4 pounds. The Guinness World Records certified Wiberg as a record holder in 2003 for making the smallest functional motorcycle
kOy05 TIL about the Shedim. They are creatures very similar to Jinns in Islam. Their name was later translated into "daimonia" by the Greek, which caused the misunderstanding later down the line that they are evil creatures.
7vPM TIL the Christmas tree in London’s Trafalgar Square had been given by the country of Norway every year since 1947. It is a token of appreciation for the friendship of the British people during World War II.
6EerZ TIL of a secret society called Cicada 3301, that has on six occasions posted puzzles and alternate reality games (some lasting years) in an attempt to recruit code breakers from the public.
9Yn17 TIL that the cameraperson for the famous slo-mo footage of Evel Knievel's failed Cesar's Palace fountains jump (link to vid in comments, it's a doozy) was none other than Golden Globe winning actress Linda Evans of Dynasty fame