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TIL of "peine forte et dure", a type of torture used in the common law legal system when a person remained silent upon questioning. It consisted of progressively heavier stones placed upon the chest until either a plea was entered, or the person died. It’s been legal for ~500 years, until 1772.

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NxXM TIL of Oskar Dirlewanger, commander of the “Dirlewanger” unit, the most infamous SS unit in the German military during WWII. A child molester, violent alcoholic, and sadist, the war crimes committed under Dirlewanger’s command remain unparalleled in their monstrosity.
BxXb TIL Gaius gracchus, the ancient roman politician, had a bounty put on his head to the price of the head’s weight in gold. Although the head was delivered, the prize was never paid, as it was discovered that Gaius’ captor had emptied out his brain and replaced it with molten lead.
9pkr TIL reading in the dark doesn’t hurt your eyes
a8rxM TIL that actor Mark Lindsay Chapman, lost the part of John Lennon in a 1985 biopic because Yoko Ono thought him having the same name as Lennon's killer was "bad karma". Linsday would eventually play Lennon in the 2007 movie Chapter 27... a movie that mostly focused on his killer, Mark David Chapman
bvJQ TIL that after needing 13 liters of blood for a surgery at the age of 13, a man named James Harrison pledged to donate blood once he turned 18. It was discovered that his blood contained a rare antigen which cured Rhesus disease. He has donated blood a record 1,000 times and saved 2,000,000 lives.