› added 9 years ago

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TIL People who survived suicide attempts by jumping off the Golden Gate bridge often regret their decision in midair, if not before. Said one survivor: “I instantly realized that everything in my life that I’d thought was unfixable was totally fixable—except for having just jumped.”

VMENQ TIL of Chinese folklore's "Pixiu", a creature that was banished from the heavens for being unruly--; It was spanked by the Jade Emperor so hard that its butthole was sealed, leaving it cursed to a diet of gold, silver, and jewels but unable to expel any of it.
Br5DL TIL about the Medlar, a fruit that was once popular in ancient and medieval times but was nearly forgotten in the 20th Century (Deleted and reposted due to title error in the original post, which stated that this fruit is enjoyed rotten. In fact, bletting is a kind of ripening)
OoLG6 TIL Sunflower (Helianthus tuberosus), called Jersualem artichoke or Sunchoke, is native to North America. Native Americans were first cultivate sunflower roots for food. Resists cold, drought, wind. The roots contain inulin, which is firmly established to decrease blood cholesterol. Improves beer.
8eGOV TIL Patricia Highsmith (author of The Talented Mr. Ripley, Carol, Strangers on a Train) once attended a party with 100 pet snails in her handbag, calling them her "companions for the evening"
m1ZoP TIL that Anne Frank's family tried to immigrate to the United States. They filed for a visa in 1938 but the application was lost following a German bombardment in 1940. They tried again in 1941 but all American consulates were closed by the Nazis.