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TIL Cebu City is the busiest sea port in the Philippines and was also once a bustling commercial hub between Mexico and China. However, almost none of its long coastline contains beaches and it is instead occupied by industry, ports, slums and marshlands

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W7yAB TIL British comedian Freddie Starr was accused of eating a hamster by the tabloid newspaper The Sun. Although a complete fabrication, the rumour boosted Freddie's career and led to more tour dates. The rumour had been started by Freddie's manager as a practical joke.
ANlDx TIL 48 year old King Henry VIII announced his disappointment that his 4th wife, 24 year old Anne of Cleves was so ugly. Henry’s displeasure along with his impotence led to four difficult honeymoon nights without consummation. Henry eventually gave up and had the marriage annulled.
LkB80 TIL in the movie The Godfather, the horse head from the scene where Jack Woltz, played by John Marley, wakes up to find it lying in his bed, is from an actual dead horse. During rehearsals a fake one was used, and Marley wasn't told beforehand, so his screams during the actual shot were genuine.
Yp5G7 TIL crowd effects for the gaming arena scene in Tron: Legacy were recorded at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International. During a Tron: Legacy panel, the crowd was given instructions to chant and stomp while techs from Skywalker Sound recorded the performance.
D1n9r TIL William the Conqueror (aka William The Bastard) was denied a marriage proposal by Matilda of Flanders who felt marrying a bastard was below her. He won her heart by reading the response and immediately riding 250+ miles from Normandy to Bruges to grab her by the hair and throw her in the mud.