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451

TIL when Alexander was a boy, his tutor chastised him for burning too much incense at Gods' altars. After conquering Gaza, a major frankincense producer then, Alexander sent 500 talents of frankincense back to the old man in Macedonia, with the message: "Now you can stop short-changing the gods."

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YpaWd TIL that at an art display, live goldfish were placed on display swimming in blenders, and visitors were told they could press the "on" button if they wanted. At least one visitor did, killing two goldfish.
epQnE TIL about Vampire fiction is rooted in the "vampire craze" of the 1720s suspected vampires Petar Blagojevich a Serbian peasant who was believed to have become a vampire after his death and have killed nine of his fellow villagers. The case was the earliest, documented cases of vampire hysteria.
jN7n TIL that Major Charles Sweeny, pilot of the B29 that nuked Nagasaki, ignored direct orders during the bombing, nearly causing the plane to crash from low fuel. Instead of investigating Sweeny’s conduct, the chief of staff for the Strategic Air Forces simply stated “You fucked up, didn’t you, Chuck?”
QJX8d TIL that Diphenhydramine is marketed as both Benadryl (an allergy pill with a side of effect of making on sleepy) and also Sominex (a sleeping pill with the side effect of helping one's allergies)
PYbQJ TIL MAD Magazine credited Leonardo da Vinci for creative input in one of their issues. His check is still waiting in the MAD offices for him to pick it up