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TIL that Mahatma Ghandi sought the counsel of Leo Tolstoy in 1910, as both were staunch vegetarians, and Ghandi opened "Tolstoy Farm" in South Africa to promote peace, love and balance

Read more mkgandhi.org

via reddit.com

LQx90 TIL that "Stendhal syndrome" is a psychosomatic condition involving rapid heartbeat, fainting, confusion, and even hallucinations, allegedly occurring when individuals become exposed to objects, artworks, or phenomena of great beauty.
yVVj8 TIL the iconic Einstein-sticking-his-tongue-out photo was his annoyed reaction to paparazzi goading him to smile on his 72nd birthday. It achieved cult status mostly because Einstein himself asked for a cropped version, ordered many prints and proceeded to send them to friends.
waAJ TIL that a Role Playing Game company (Steve Jackson Games) was raided by the Secret Service partly because they were developing a game about hacking. This was the main influence in the foundation of the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation), a non-profit digital rights group.
V0lZ TIL that 70% of the land in England is still owned by 1% of the population, largely descended from William the Conqueror’s army.
0wJjy TIL Steve Carell used to be a mailman and during Christmas, he would write notes to kids who would send letters to Santa and put it in their mailboxes. The note read, "Your letter to Santa has been picked up by special reindeer courier."