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TIL that Disney wanted Robin Williams for the voice of the genie in Aladdin so much that they animated and lip-synced the genie doing actual stand-up comedy from Williams before ever approaching him. Williams was so impressed that he immediately signed on.

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E1EGV TIL that in the 1940s, the Canadian government deliberately starved and Indigenous children and used them as test subjects just to study the value of vitamins
xVdD0 TIL that in 1968 the original London bridge was purchased by an American entrepreneur who shipped it to Lake Havasu City, Arizona where it now resides as a tourist destination (and functional Bridge)
Al54 TIL in 1986 an actual ‘cloud of death’ swept through an area of Cameroon, suddenly asphyxiating everything in its path, including 4 villages, 1,700 people and 3,500 livestock
nV9o TIL in WW2 the Polish had enlisted a bear on their side who enjoyed drinking, wrestling, cigarettes and even slept in tents. He would carry heavy ammunition crates to soldiers on the battle field and never once dropped a shell.
vPmA7 TIL Hard Rock Cafe's memorabilia collection began with a guitar from Eric Clapton, who was a regular at the first restaurant in London. It hang over his regular seat in order to lay claim to that spot. This prompted Pete Townshend to send a guitar with a note "Mine's as good as his! Love, Pete."