› added 9 months ago

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TIL simple banana duct-taped to a wall, titled “Comedian,” sold for $6.2 million at a Sotheby’s auction, purchased by cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun. Created by Maurizio Cattelan, the piece highlights the absurdity of the art market and has become a cultural phenomenon.

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OG9k6 TIL that long-term comedy partners Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders - who both came from RAF families - lived at the same RAF camps as children, and even shared a best friend. Despite this, they didn't meet until they were in University.
E1a7P TIL When Stan Lee first introduced Spider-Man the publisher turned him down. Stan Lee didn't give up and snuck Spider-Man in to the last issue of the shuttered series Amazing Fantasy which went on to become a success.
OoOXe TIL that the character Machete, as played by Danny Trejo from the B-movie of the same name and the then-fake trailer attached to the Grindhouse (2007) double feature, is in fact the exact same character that debuted (also played by Danny Treijo) in Spy Kids (2001).
4Xmdw TIL that the English Crown, fearing the potential devaluation of gold, should the philosopher's stone actually be discovered, made penalties for alchemy very severe. In some cases the punishment for unsanctioned alchemy would include the public hanging of an offender on a gilded scaffold.
pYvy4 TIL the reason that farmers flood rice fields isn't to water the plants, as you might expect. It's done to keep away pests and weeds, and to protect against uneven rainfall.