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163

TIL squirrels can survive a fall from any height

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jNjlM TIL that the practice of touching/knocking on wood after making an positive observation about your life, to ward off bad luck or "jinxing" yourself, is spread across completely separate countries and cultures on every continent
X0V0P TIL Before the Battle of Stamford Bridge, King Harold Godwinson offered his traitor brother, supporting the Norse under Harald Hardrada, his earldom back if he would betray Harald. When asked by his brother what he would give Hardrada for his trouble, Godwinson replied "Seven feet of English ground"
7rKO7 TIL that in 1946, the University of Tennessee forfeited a basketball game against Duquesne because they had one black player in Chuck Cooper on the team. Tennessee's coach asked Duquesne's coach to not play Cooper "unless he had to", but Duquesne refused. Duquesne won 2-0 due to Tennessee's forfeit.
neodY TIL 3 of the last 4 new elements added to the periodic table were discovered by a woman named Dawn Shaughnessy. In total, people who are part of the lab she runs have discovered 6 of the 26 new elements added since 1940.
m4Do TIL Beethoven actually intended many of his most famous pieces (including the 5th Symphony) to be played much faster than they are generally always played. So fast, in fact, that many professional orchestras are unable to successfully play them.