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TIL that the term boycott is named after the land agent Charles Boycott, against whom the tactic was used by Irish nationalists in opposition to the system of English landlords in Ireland

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DQLeJ TIL the town of Honiton, UK has a "Hot Penny Day" a recreation of a 13th century tradition where wealthy people would heat pennies on the stove, throw them into the streets and laugh at the poor people who picked them up.
69Gvw TIL that in the 1950s, a psychiatrist had three paranoid schizophrenic patients who each believed they were Jesus Christ. He put them in a room together to see if their beliefs would change after confronting each other
ADa87 TIL two trapped miners once asked for an ipod with The Foo Fighters music on it to keep their spirits up. After hearing this, Dave Grohl wrote a note saying "I want you to know that when you come home, there's two tickets to any Foos show, anywhere, and two cold beers waiting for you".
8e9Pa TIL the Tulip Mania led to the laws that enabled futures contracts to be convertible into option contracts, a common investment vehicle today
RDe7 TIL Grizzly bears have a better sense of smell than a hound dog and can detect food from miles away.