9wnxm TIL whilst filming of The Island of Dr. Moreau multiple disasters occurred including radiation poisoning, floods and the suicide of Marlon Brando’s daughter. As director Richard Stanley was on the phone to his Mum in Ireland at the time explaining this, her house was struck by lightning.
nW0vY TIL That a Contronym is a word that can have two opposite valid meanings, for example Cleave, to split something and also hold on to something, or another example is Bolt, to affix something and also to get away. There are many others.
4kJNw TIL that the heavily outnumbered British won the pivotal Battle of Plassey that started their conquest of India because they knew how to deal with rain. They covered their gunpowder while the Siraj's gunpowder got wet and unusable.
x6QPD TIL that the show Fresh Prince of Bel-Air only ever received 1 Emmy, and it was for “Outstanding Lighting direction for a Comedy Series”
5Vv7R TIL that Margaret Fleming (1980–c.2000), who had learning difficulties, was murdered by her carers Edward Cairney and Avril Jones in Inverkip, Scotland. She had not been seen for 17 years before her disappearance was investigated. Cairney and Jones were convicted in 2019; her body was never found.
M7Zk8 TIL that “Servus” is a German greeting, pretty much the same as “Ciao” and with same origin/etymology
j6QjQ TIL Craig Ferguson and Peter Capaldi (dr.Who) were once in a punk band together.
0doG5 TIL that Walt Disney was the first voice actor for Mickey Mouse, (1928-1947)
grQvD TIL Freddie Mercury was born with four extra teeth, causing a prominent overbite. Despite being self-conscious about them, he never got them fixed, believing the extra space in his mouth contributed to his vocal ability. He feared altering his teeth might change his voice.
LQ7gm TIL that Dean Martin and one-time porn queen, Traci Lords, were both from the Ohio river town of Steubenville, Ohio.
b6QZj TIL that In 1947, engineers working on the Mark II computer at Harvard University found a moth stuck in one of the components. They taped the insect in their logbook and labeled it "first actual case of bug being found." The words "bug" and "debug" soon became a standard part of programming.
QNo8a TIL that Mary Frith (c.1584–1659), alias Moll Cutpurse, was a notorious London pickpocket and fence. Defying gender roles, she dressed in men's clothes, moved in criminal circles, and became a legendary figure in the 17th-century underworld.