› added 7 months ago

19

TIL That the fortress/prison Chateau d'If, made famous by The Count of Monte Cristo, was a real prison and became a tourist attraction in the years after the book's publication.

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k9W5 TIL scientists have revived 1,500 year old Antarctic moss in a laboratory
JYLw8 TIL that the melting clocks in Salvador Dali's famous painting "The Persistence of Memory" were inspired when Dali saw the look of a Camembert cheese- a soft French cheese- melting in the sun
nWgQr TIL there is a panda in china called Hua Hua who's popularity caused increased amounts of tourism in the Chengdu panda base with tourists waiting for hours to simply get a glimpse (she also has developmental delays which makes her fluffy and extra round)
mx8jY TIL Robin Williams provided 14 hours of improvised lines for his first animated voice work in 'Ferngully: The Last Rainforest'. Originally given an 8-minute part, after impressing the director, Williams' screen time was tripled.
0wB4j TIL The UK gambling industry spends £1.5 billion a year on advertising, and 60% of its profits come from the 5% who are already problem gamblers