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TIL during WWII, Finland set off hundreds of mines left by retreating Soviets by playing the same polka song about 1500 times

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OoKo1 TIL that in Chinese/Peking Opera, a character wearing armor with flags on his/her back was meant to represent a general leading an army. Two such characters fighting on stage meant that a battle between two armies was taking place.
yQ1GM TIL Christmas only became a thing in Scotland in 1958, and had been BANNED for centuries following the Reformation - with strict penalties for celebrating. Instead Scots celebrated the secular Hogmanay, which remains a significant date on the nation's calendar every year.
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."
wZG8 TIL Stradivarius violins are so good because the harsh winters of the 17th century made for slower-growing trees, and very hard, dense wood for carving
XEAaj TIL The biblical account of the feeding of the five thousand with loaves and fishes is one of the few stories that are recounted by all four of the Gospel writers