› added 9 years ago

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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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KOYr6 TIL that "Ma'nene" is a rare death ritual in Troaja, South Sulawesi, Indonesia where family members remove dead relatives from their graves, dust them off, change their clothes and let them dry in the sun.
D1pBv TIL about Brandon Rhode, a man on death row who attempted suicide by cutting his throat before his execution date. Following the attempt, he was rushed to a local hospital where he was stabilized and saved. He was then executed a few days later.
b6ebp TIL in 1982 for a film named Fitzcarraldo, director Werner Herzog had the cast drag a 320-ton steamship over a steep hill: to depict real life events. Under the threat of death, Carlos Fitzcarrald forced indigenous workers to transport a 30 ton ship over a mountain to get to another river in 1894.
eQoD TIL Two pharmacists were responsible for the creation of Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce in 1835. While unpalatable at first, the pair let it ferment for 3 years before discovering it’s value as a flavoring sauce.
MeP17 TIL the US Army’s secret unit, Project Stargate, investigated paranormal activity for 3 Cold War decades, including using psychic powers to spy on & locate the enemy during warfare