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TIL the Soviet Union closed down many churches and reopened them as Museums of Atheism dedicated to scientific education and anti-religious exhibitions

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6kQY TIL Mozart pirated a piece of music by writing it down from memory.
OGn9L TIL that before it was "Donner and Blitzen," it was "Donder and Blitzen," and before that it was "Dunder and Blixem," which is colloquial New York Dutch meaning "Thunder and Lightning."
wgx8 TIL On 31 March 1970, a group of left-wing extremists from the Japanese Red Army Faction hijacked a plane with samurai swords and demanded to be taken to North Korea.
xQ50 TIL that enough Purple Hearts were manufactured during WWII in anticipation of massive casualties encountered during the proposed invasion of Japan, that there still is a surplus of over 100,000 today
R7WPQ TIL that Germany has the only tree in the world with its own mailing address. It's known as the Bridegroom Oak, and it receives about 1000 letters per year from singles looking for love. Anyone can take letters from the tree and respond. They estimate that it's responsible for over 100 marriages.