› added 11 years ago

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TIL that Wladimir Klitschko auctioned off his 1996 Olympic gold medal in March 2012 for charity. The buyer payed $1 million but immediatly returned it because he wanted it to stay in the family.

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MwMK TIL that in 1989, a man bought a an old painting from a flea market for $4 because he liked the frame. Hidden behind it was an original printing of the Declaration of Independence which went on to sell at auction for $2.42 million.
5Kk TIL that 27% of American adults didn’t read a book in 2006, and 43% didn’t read a book in 2002. “Those who said they never attend religious services read nearly twice as many as those who attend frequently.”
ArKo TIL babies learn a language by hearing it, but they must hear it spoken directly to them in person by another human being; as little as 12 hours with a human tutor produces dramatic results in babies, compared to no results even after many more hours of exposure to foreign language TV shows.
KYY4J TIL Thomas Jefferson's grandson was a Confederate general during the Civil War
rNE11 TIL that certain Mayan bloodletting rituals calls for piercing the penis of a ruler. Blood was then scattered and collected and burned. Other soft body parts were used depending on the needs of the ritual. For example, genitalia would be pierced for fertility rituals.