› added 11 months ago

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TIL of the 1616 Russian Bride-Show, when 19-year-old Tsar Michael Romanov selected a wife from 500 medically examined virgins. Maria Dolgorukova was chosen with a golden ring—but was likely poisoned by Michael’s mother, leaving her ill, infertile and ineligible.

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XE4aj TIL that in Resevoir Dogs, Madonna, who is the main topic of the opening conversation, really liked the film, but refuted Quentin Tarantino's interpretation of her song "Like a Virgin". She gave him a copy of her "Erotica" album, signed, "To Quentin. It's not about dick, it's about love. Madonna."
mxY8o A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment suggests that leopards in Mumbai, the world’s sixth most-populated city, may save human lives by feeding on feral dogs. Feral dogs are a major health issue in India, where they are the leading cause of rabies deaths.
QJXME TIL that in Sweden you agree with someone by sucking in air. In Sweden (and Norway), to show you’re on the same page as someone, you make a sharp sucking noise instead of saying "I agree" or nodding. It’s their way of letting you know they’re listening without interrupting the flow of conversation.
6OOw TIL cave art from 15000 years ago depicts an extinct buffalo/cattle hybrid. Scientists call it The Higgs Bison (because of its elusive nature)
Zdda TIL that NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson calculated the trajectory for the space flight of Alan Shepard by hand, and was called on by NASA officials to verify the computer’s calculations of John Glenn’s orbit around Earth.