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TIL George de Hevesy dissolved the Nobel Prizes of James Franck (1925) and Max von Laue (1925) in acid to prevent the Nazis from confiscating them in 1940. After the war, he precipitated the gold and The Nobel Society recast the medals with the original material, presenting them to Franck and Laue.

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QNk1k TIL that Dutch national holidays do not guaranty a day off work.
j68jn TIL that Mozart taught his pet starling bird how to play the opening of his Piano Concerto Number 17, K 453.
1a8vV TIL that the song "Dirty Creature" by New Zealand new wave rockers Split Enz makes (metaphorical) reference to Taniwha, powerful beings believed by the Maori to inhabit treacherous waters. Tim Finn had been suffering panic attacks, and co-wrote this song to try to contend with his suffering.
XxK6 TIL Greater, who lived to be at least 83, was the world’s oldest greater flamingo. In 2008, the almost blind bird was attacked and beaten by four teenagers. It was euthanised six years later because of arthritis.
R7Qp4 TIL: Before the trial of Soviet politicians Zinoviev and Kamenev, they had agreed to plead guilty to the false charges on the condition that they not be executed, a condition that Stalin accepted, stating "that goes without saying". A few hours after their conviction, Stalin ordered their execution