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TIL that Pope John Paul II sent a letter to a US leader asking not to invade Iraq. When the Cardinal arrived he handed this letter to the President. He places this letter on a table without opening or reading it then told the cardinal that he, the president, “was convinced it was God’s will”.

Read more vaticaninsider.lastampa.it

via reddit.com

Brp5r TIL the eggs in Alien initially had a more vaginal appearance complete with an "inner and outer vulva". Producers worried that Catholic countries would ban the film, so Giger changed them so that "seen from above, they would form the cross that people in Catholic countries are so fond of looking at"
lon95 TIL a Soviet Special Forces Commander who ordered the execution of all Afghan witnesses to a coup was killed because he was wearing an Afghan uniform.
E1AEp TIL Sadly, Margot Kidder, who played Lois Lane in Superman '78, committed suicide with drugs and alcohol in May of 2018. Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade died by suicide in June 2018, but Kidder's death was not ruled suicide until August.
rNkae TIL that in medieval Europe, there existed a sport known as "rat-baiting." Spectators would gather in public squares to watch as trained dogs competed to catch and kill rats released into the arena. Betting on the outcome of these gruesome contests was commonplace.
PY9WJ TIL that only 3 of the 15 highest grossing movies from the 1980s haven't been given a sequel, prequel or turned into a franchise. Those movies are E.T, Tootsie, and Rain Man.