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TIL that in medieval Europe, there existed a sport known as "rat-baiting." Spectators would gather in public squares to watch as trained dogs competed to catch and kill rats released into the arena. Betting on the outcome of these gruesome contests was commonplace.

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rk4M TIL that in 1258 the Mongols destroyed Baghdad. Survivors said that “the waters of the Tigris ran black with ink from the enormous quantities of books flung into the river and red from the blood of the scientists and philosophers killed.” The siege marked the end of the Islamic Golden Age.
oGZW TIL there is a crab that grows to be bigger than a human being. It’s called… Japanese Spider Crab
MebPb TIL of the Coral Tree. Part of the genus Erythrina, Coral Trees are native to Eastern Mexico, South America, and South Africa. Their uniquely shaped flowers bloom in bright red from February to June.
mxR9O TIL that the Christian Cult called "The Children of God" encouraged its female members to enter into sexual relationships with potential converts to lure them in. Called 'Flirty Fishing', they 'successfully' lured over 100,000 men into the cult.
ODN6 TIL Singapore Airlines Flight 21 (formerly the worlds longest scheduled flight) was so long, that the airline had to install special lockers on the aircraft to store corpses incase anybody died en route.