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TIL Mars Attacks originally had trouble attracting A list actors because most of the characters either die in some cartoonish manner or end up disfigured. That was until Jack Nicholson enthusiastically joined the film. Glenn Close, Pierce Brosnan, Danny DeVito, Michael J Fox and others followed suit

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oBgQo TIL that the three great minds: Werner Heisenberg, Niels Bohr and Erwin Schrödinger behind Quantum Mechanics all read from and greatly respected the Vedas, the ancient Indian Sanskrit texts on spirituality. Schrödinger even mentioned this in a book he wrote called "My view of the world."
X000X TIL that the Animals broke up because, while touring in Japan in 1968, their manager was kidnapped by the tour promoters, who were Yakuza, and put him up for ransom. After the manager escaped, the band was forced to flee the country or be killed by the Yakuza, leaving all of their tour gear behind.
Bgdpd TIL when Marco Polo visited Tibet in the 1270s, he would sometimes be courted by 20 or 30 unmarried women who sought to do pleasure with as many men as possible and receive at least 20 tokens as proof of being desirable for marriage. He wrote “what a fine country that is for young fellows to go to!”
EgGWX TIL a giant island called “Forty Acre Bog” in Lake Chippewa has to be pushed by boats away from a bridge almost every year
R70Z4 TIL that in 1916, the HMS Chester was heavily attacked. The only survivor was the 16-year old Jack Cornwell, who was still at his position waiting for orders, despite German shell shards having ripped through his chest, stomach and legs. He died 3 days later, and was awarded the Victoria Cross.