› added 9 years ago

119

TIL when Spielberg first showed John Williams a cut of Schindler’s List, Williams was so moved he had to take a walk outside to collect himself. Upon his return, Williams told Spielberg he deserved a better composer. Spielberg replied, “I know, but they’re all dead.”

V1M4 TIL the expression “sleep tight” originates from when mattresses were placed on top of ropes that needed regular tightening in the 16th-17th century
pVV4 TIL in the 1950s, hundreds of babies were on loan from orphanages to various U.S. universities. There, students could practice the latest child-rearing theories of the day on a real newborn. After a year or two, the babies would leave their multiple mothers to find homes in adoptive families.
e0M15 TIL that many of the most common names today like: John, Sean, Ian ,Ivan, Hanz, Giovanni, Johan, Evan, Nani,.... are all derived from the same Hebrew name "Yôḥānān" that passed into European tradition through Christianity
MQxb TIL that the largest solar energy plant in the world may create a number of safety hazards once it is up and running. Critics have argued that it would be powerful enough to vaporize birds, blind drivers miles away, flip small airplanes, and attract Air Force heat-seeking missiles.
KOy56 TIL after Warren Harding’s Teapot Dome scandal the House and Senate were given subpoena power for review of tax records of any US citizen without regard to elected or appointed position, nor subject to White House interference.