Post * E1N0P — Curious Curator

› added 3 years ago

349

TIL: Mara Wilson in Matilda was embarrassed about dancing on her own during the cereal scene, so Danny DeVito made everyone in the studio dance with her when filming.

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9Yag6 TIL Emperor Qin Shihuang ordered the burning of Chinese musical instruments and writings because he considered them superfluous to Chinese culture. Later, the Han dynasty (206 BC- 220 AD) encouraged music and established the Office of Music which remained in operation until 1914

DXyg TIL The “Red Phone” between the US and USSR was never actually a phone. It was a teletype machine, then a fax machine, and now days its a direct email connection.

N7ndQ TIL that the brand name of LaCroix sparkling water is actually pronounced "la-croy," according to the manufacturer.

78wPP TIL: The University of Pennsylvania uncovered illustrations with instructions from the 1500s on the use of cats and doves to burn down castles. You strap a sack to the cat, ignite it, and send it to the castle. The plan was part of a manual by artillery master Franz Helm.

AD4x7 TIL there was a trend of headless photography in 19th century Britain ("Victorian Headless Portraits"). The models usually had their heads in a platter, or were holding them in their hands. This was made by taking multiple photos and combining the negatives - kinda like the early days' Photoshop.