› added 7 years ago

690

TIL a saguaro cactus once killed a man. When an Arizona man vandalized a 23ft saguaro with a shotgun, the cactus shed one of its arms and crushed him to death.

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D8RV TIL While filming Return of the Jedi in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, crew members in bright-coloured vests stood near Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) so he wouldn’t get shot by someone mistaken him for Bigfoot
xVVQ0 TIL that the rumour that actress Lupe Velez drowned in her toilet when she slipped while vomiting after a barbiturate overdose is false. Official reports state her death was due to Seconal poisoning not drowning
v10a7 TIL of St. Martin de Porres - the Catholic patron saint of mixed-race people, barbers, innkeepers, public health workers, and all those seeking racial harmony. He was the illegitimate son of a Spanish nobleman, Don Juan de Porres and Ana Velázquez, a free woman of African-Native American descent.
l70EN TIL during WW2 the US and Canada invaded a Japanese-held Alaskan island with more than 35,000 men. After more than 300 casualties and the near sinking of the destroyer USS Abner Read from traps, mines, and friendly fire; they realised there were no Japanese on the island.
GYNxg TIL that a local bully who constantly evaded the law despite his numerous horrible crimes was shot dead in front of 40+ townsfolk. They all protected the shooter & claimed they saw nothing. Even today, nobody has been charged with the crime.