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TIL that suicide candidates in 18th-century Denmark were afraid to take their own lives because they believed it would send them to hell. Instead, they resorted to killing other people to receive the death penalty and repented before execution, believing that doing so would send them to heaven.

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M7oL8 TIL that there is a better preserved exact copy of the Mona Lisa, made by one of da Vinci's students simultaneously in the same studio as Leonardo. It shows details that are not visible in the Mona Lisa anymore.
rRXay TIL That the medieval romantic trope of a Knight guarding a bridge or gate and forbidding passage unless dueled has a historical basis in the "Pas d'armes" where "any other knight who wished to pass must first fight, or be disgraced."
Vp9m TIL that since many female insects mate just once in their lives, insect populations can be controlled by releasing swarms of sterile males into the wild; the females mate with them, never have babies, and die. The method has eradicated populations of dangerous insects in several regions.
9Ydr6 TIL that a man published a 1,905 page suicide note online before shooting himself at Harvard University. The note went in detail about things like human nature, society, religion, technology, and science.
78ZZZ TIL in South Vietnam during the Buddhist crisis, a hugely oversized carp was found in a small pond. It was believed to be a reincarnation of one of Buddha's disciples, and the Catholic government ordered it mined and machine gunned, which it survived. This catapulted the fish's fame to new heights