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TIL that after arriving in Los Angeles at 19, a broke Charlize Theron tried to cash a check from her mother to pay for rent, but the teller refused. She got into a shouting match with him, drawing the attention of a talent agent behind her, who introduced her to casting agents and an acting school.

1aOmX TIL that the first pocket calculator [Curta (Type I) mechanical calculator] was invented by the Jewish inventor Curt Herzstark in Buchenwald concentration camp during WWII. The Nazis planned to make a present of it to Hitler as a gift after the successful end of the war.
D15ar TIL That the Vatican actually has a national football team. Vatican's national football team has played against 7 international football teams, which they have either lost or tied with the other team. The team consists only by Swiss guards and museum guards.
OGDpa TIL of Joan Deebank, British Columbia's oldest high school graduate at 92 years old. In 1939, her parents forced her to drop out. She became a maid, served in the British Army, emigrated to Canada, and had four children before re-enrolling in an adult program
Y90P TIL after a Pittsburgh Restaurant Owner did away with tipping, paid employees a base salary of at least $35k/year (plus bonuses), gave them health care from date of hire, 500 shares in the business and a paid vacation, the restaurant tripled its profits in 2 months.
E19AP TIL that in ancient Mesopotamia "liability" meant "we sell you into slavery to pay for the damages". (Law #53)