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TIL that French composer and organist Jehan Alain joined the French Army in WWII, serving as a despatch rider. He was conducting reconnaissance by motorbike when he encountered German infantry. Refusing to surrender, he killed 16 enemies before being gunned down.

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0Eo5 TIL that “Our Gang” (a/k/a “The Little Rascals”) prominently put boys, girls, whites and blacks together as equals, something that had never been done before in cinema. Ernie Morrison (“Sunshine Sammy”) was the first African-American actor signed to a long-term contract in Hollywood history.
yVeda TIL Fungi communicate with each other through electrical signals carried by underground filaments. Scientists studying these networks have identified common signal patterns that make up a vocabulary of up to 50 “words”
W8yB TIL severed octopus tentacles will still function as normal for up to an hour after being cut off, even going as far as to search for food and bring it back to a “phantom mouth”.
neBJr TIL a German study found that wine tasted better if the drinker thinks it's more expensive. Subjects inside an MRI scanner tasted a $14 red wine 3x but were told each sip was from bottles costing $3, $7, & $21. The brain's motivation & reward center was more active for the "more expensive" wine.
nWaor TIL If a fighter pilot ejects using a Martin-Baker ejection seat, the company provides a tie, patch, certificate, tie pin and membership card for the "Ejection Tie Club" plus a subsidised limited edition Bremont watch.