› added 9 years ago

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TIL that Lord Cornwallis, the general famous for leading the British Army during the American Revolution became Governor-General of India after the war and is buried there in a tomb overlooking the Ganges River.

9Gnp TIL that soldiers awarded the Medal of Honor receive a number of additional benefits, including a pension of $1,300 beyond any other retirement pay, space-available air travel on military transport for their entire lives, and admission to military academies for their children.
ANX9o TIL “Pull Yourself Up By Your Bootstraps” was originally meant sarcastically, or to suggest an impossible accomplishment, because it is impossible for someone to pull themselves up by their bootstraps.
8APb TIL that for his role in Animal House, Donald Sutherland was offered $35k + 15% of the film’s gross. Thinking the film would be a flop, Sutherland negotiated a flat fee increase to $50k with no percentage of the gross. That decision cost him roughly $20 million.
loQ17 TIL about Formula Rossa, a roller coaster in Dhabi with a top speed of 149mph. This ride requires you to wear safety glasses to ride, and is currently the fastest roller coaster in the world.
lOB1 TIL during WW2 a mix of high explosive and flour was given to guerrillas fighting the Japanese. Codenamed ‘Aunt Jemima’, it could be safely cooked into pancakes and eaten. Uneaten pancakes or unused dough could still be used later as explosives. 15 tons were used; the ruse was never discovered.