› added 10 years ago

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TIL That Dave Chappelle was offered the role of Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue in Forrest Gump but turned it down because he thought the role was demeaning, and the movie would bomb.

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G95J TIL that Hugh Thompson Jr., a Vietnam War helicopter pilot, saved 11 civilians during the My Lai massacre. He ordered his men to fire upon American soldiers if they tried to shoot civilians. While he was derided by Congress, 30 years later, he was awarded the “Soldier’s Medal” by the Army.
n8Jd TIL that if all the natural disasters and epidemics in Iceland since the 18th century hadn’t happened, the population of Iceland is estimated to have been 3 times larger today than it currently is.
5YYen TIL in the 1950's, the Marines accidentally ordered hundreds of crates of Tootsie Rolls instead of Mortar Rounds.
BlxL TIL that Dragonflies have a high power/weight ratio, and have been documented accelerating at 4 G linearly and 9 G in sharp turns while pursuing prey.
AMNB TIL that in 1954 the economist Armen Alchian was able to figure out what the secret fuel was for the newly developed hydrogen bomb just by looking at the share prices of chemical suppliers on the stock market