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TIL that the term "counting sheep" probably originated when early sheep herders couldn't get to sleep at night because they were worried about all of the sheep in their field. So they'd soothe themselves by counting the herd up to make sure they were all there.

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jW9p TIL Universal Studios, Inc sued Sony and its distributors in 1976, alleging that because Sony was manufacturing a device (Betamax) that could be used for copyright infringement, they were thus liable for any infringement committed by its purchasers. Essentially trying to kill videotape recording.
awKOb TIL Michael Jackson broke a race barrier for Prince and other artists. Epic promoted Jackson’s singles to R&B and pop radio. Jackson worked with Paul McCartney and Eddie Van Halen. Billie Jean was the 1st video by a black artist in heavy rotation on MTV. The music industry was never the same.
N7Le1 TIL Interstellar, the film, contributed to our scientific understanding of black holes. When they ran a specially designed engine for producing CGI, they saw what they thought was a graphic bug. What it was, however, was imagery of what black holes actually look like.
R5gM4 TIL of Charles Hatfield “The Rainmaker” who made a fortune through contracts with cities in the early 20th century to make it rain. He was sued as the reason for the devastating flood of San Diego in 1916
ADbXg TIL Christopher Reeve turned down the lead roles in in American Gigolo, The World According to Garp, Splash, Fatal Attraction, Pretty Woman, Romancing the Stone, Lethal Weapon, and Body Heat saying in part “... I felt the starring roles could easily be played by anyone with a strong physique."