› added 4 months ago

66

TIL that instead of using CGI, Tim Burton opted to use real squirrels in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The squirrels were used for 10 months, and the filming was supervised by the American Humane Association to make sure none of the squirrels experienced distress.

Read more news.bbc.co.uk

via reddit.com

VM1YB TIL After bombing Pearl Harbor, a Japanese Pilot crashed on the nearby Ni'ihau Island, part of Hawaii. The local Japanese American residents freed the captured pilot, stole ammunitions, and took hostages. This was cited as a reason why Japanese internment camps were needed during WWII.
gRg8 TIL that a game show has tested the idea of fairness across cultures. In the US, the audience helps contestants. In Russia, they purposefully give the wrong answer. In France, they give the wrong answer if they feel the contestant isn’t smart enough to deserve to win the money
m1YJO TIL that the world record for most number one hit songs across all charts and genres is held by Texas country-western singer George Strait. Strait has held the record with 60 #1 hits since 2013.
mxvkM TIL almost all calico cats are female. The gene for coat color is on the female (X) chromosome. To get a calico coat, a cat must have a black gene from one parent and an orange gene from the other parent, resulting in all XX females. Sometimes a male calico is born who is XXY, but they're sterile.
NbdQ TIL Shawshank Redemption never won a single Oscar, despite being nominated for 7, mostly because Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction came out the same year.