› added 3 years ago

103

TIL William Stephenson, a Canadian, was the real-life inspiration for fictional character James Bond. Stephenson played a key role in the creation of the CIA

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

8aJoX TIL of Otto Skorzeny, an SS commando who among other feats rescued Mussolini from a mountaintop prison, spread chaos undercover in American uniform and was later recruited by the Mossad
D1n7Y TIL that George Lucas and Steven Spielberg both personally called Bill Watterson about a Calvin & Hobbes movie, and he turned them both down.
4XnvR TIL the current water speed record of 318mph (511.1kph) was set by an Australian in 1977 and remains unbroken to this day. Two attempt have been made to break this record in the past 40 years and both resulted in the deaths of their operators.
DQDKv TIL that Baker's Chocolate got the name from its co-founder, James Baker, and not because it is unsweetened chocolate for bakers.
X0PvD TIL In the wake of the Second World War, the US occupied Iceland until 2006