ZpbER TIL that Nobel Prize winning physicist Chen-Ning Yang’s father-in-law was Du Yuming, a Kuomintang general who was later captured, re-educated as a war criminal and eventually became a senior official in the PRC.
786Nb TIL that in 1994 Portland Trail Blazers broadcaster Mike Rice Sr was ejected by referee Steve Javie after criticising the officials during a radio broadcast of a game against the Indiana Pacers.
kJbj7 TIL Disney made an exception to their ‘no hiring ex-convicts’ policy when they hired Tim Allen to star in The Santa Claus
Eg7pW TIL that during the touring for the release of their 2001 album Toxicity, System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian tried to enter the backstage but was harassed, racially profiled, and beaten by security guards
Y7bYG TIL that Da Hong Pao (English: Big red robe) is extremely expensive. During the Qing Dynasty, it was known as the "King of teas." President Richard Nixon was even gifted 200g of the tea when he visited China in 1972 to represent friendship between the two countries.
BgYoL TIL that a 12th-century Japanese picture scroll known for its fluid, expressive drawings of animals is often considered a proto-manga because of its modern-looking visual storytelling. The scroll shows frogs, rabbits, and monkeys acting like people: wrestling, praying, and getting into mischief.
rNbDe TIL despite its legacy, George Michael’s 1990 single “Freedom! ‘90” only peaked at #28 on the UK singles chart. However, the song was a major success on the US Billboard Hot 100 other music charts. In 2023, it was ranked as the 39th greatest pop song of all time by Billboard.
NXJ6E TIL I learned that there were three future famous musicians present at the Kent State shootings
l7bDN TIL Splinter Cell: Double Agent has two different versions
8eOrK TIL that mystery author Mary Roberts Rinehart -to whom the phrase 'The Butler Did It' is widely attributed (although she didn't use those exact words) - would later come close to being murdered by her own long-time servant.
P1DXn TIL Temple Lea Houston, the son of Sam Houston, was a lawyer and former gunslinger whose improvised defense of a sex worker is still cited by lawyers as the “perfect closing argument."
epb5k TIL that in pre-production of How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), John Stamos auditioned for the Grinch, but backed out because he was allergic to the prosthetics