TIL that in 1995, a Nick Leeson single handedly bankrupted Britain's oldest merchant bank by losing $1.4 B dollars in bad trades.
TIL that in Ukraine if a marriage proposal isn't accepted by the bride or her family, the would-be groom is given a pumpkin, so he doesn't leave empty-handed.
TIL that legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick thought the 1988 film The Vanishing (or Spoorloos in its original Dutch titling) was the most terrifying film he had seen – even more frightening than his own The Shining. After seeing it, he called the film's director to discuss editing techniques.
TIL about "Dear Diary," a 1996 made-for-TV pilot starring Bebe Neuwirth. ABC passed on the show, and it wasn't broadcast. However, it was slightly edited and shown in one L.A. theatre on one weekend to qualify for an Oscar. It won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.