› added 8 years ago

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TIL that while filming “The Princess Bride” in 1987, Cary Elwes (Westley) claims the NYPD had an undercover office follow around Andre the Giant when he went out drinking to make sure Andre didn’t pass out and fall on anyone.

jN8bp TIL of Cerbalus aravaensis, a beautiful huntsman spider whose remaining habitat consists of just 1.2 square miles of land (3km sq)
6EgNX TIL of Dipprasad Pun, a Nepalese soldier during the War of Afghanistan who was attacked by 30 insurgents. Believing he was about to die, he expended all 400 rounds of his ammunition, launched 17 grenades, detonated a Claymore mine, and killed an attacker with his tripod, causing them to retreat.
QJ6oM TIL that computers have been around since the 1600s. Computers were originally just people who would do calculations and compute things. In the 19th century, computers were usually teams of women who would do complex calculations by hand. As a result, the earliest programmers were also women.
W74bB TIL that in 1519, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés sank his own ships exept one after landing in Mexico to prevent his men from retreating, This bold move forced them to march inland and ultimately led to the fall of the Aztec Empire.
9Yjem TIL In 2007, China bought the largest copper deposit in Afghanistan for $3 Billion, making it the largest foreign investment in Afghanistan's history. The Chinese company also promised to build proper housing, a railway, a 400-megawatt power plant and a coal mine, none of which have been fulfilled.