› added 9 years ago

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TIL During the battle of Stalingrad, Mikhail Panikakha had only two Molotov cocktails left after helping repel German attacks. He raised the one to throw when a bullet hit it, setting him on fire. He then took the last bottle, jumped out of the trench and hit the nearest German tank with it.

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jNNyv TIL 40mm grenades that launch parachute suspended reconnaissance cameras exist.
oRoNR TIL that while filming John Wick 4, Keanu Reeves gifted stunt performers customized T-shirts showing how many times they "died" in the film, with some dying over 20 times. His personal team of stuntmen also received custom Rolex Submariner watches after filming, as a token of appreciation.
b6GWQ TIL the deer around Nara, the ancient early capital of Japan, are sacred in Shintoism for being messengers of the gods. They have been tame for centuries from humans not hunting them. They are popular with guests who buy “deer cookies” to feed them.
GAPJG TIL that Buzz Aldrin was supposed to be the first man to walk on the moon instead of Neil Armstrong, but NASA was forced to change their plans because they'd built the Lunar Module so that as the pilot, Aldrin would be seated farther from the door than Armstrong
J1bYQ TIL that King Louis IX was captured and imprisoned for six weeks in Egypt in 1250 during the Seventh Crusade. He was ransomed for the equivalent of one-third of France’s GDP, while nearly all of his army was massacred. 20 years later, he died in Tunisia while on another crusade.