› added 12 years ago

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TIL that Jake Lloyd (Anakin Skywalker from The Phantom Menace) retired from acting at a young age because he was constantly made fun of at school for his role in the film. He also destroyed all of his Star Wars memorabilia and refuses to re-watch Episode 1.

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via reddit.com

Br1xk TIL James Earl Ray, MLK’s assassin, was accidentally honored in a Florida plaque supposed to be celebrating James Earl Jones during an MLK Day event. Officials received their plaque and were horrified to discover that it bore an inscription thanking James Earl Ray for “keeping the dream alive”.
EAmV TIL of the 1833 Leonids meteor shower, the largest one ever recorded estimated at 240 000 “shooting stars” per hour (~67 every second) radiating from Leo constellation over a 9 hour period. The event had such an impact on society that it was used to date people with no birth certificate.
WV5L TIL that due to the “welfare cliff”, a single mother of two is better off with a $29,000 per year job than she is with a $69,000 per year job.
R7ew9 TIL Harry Houdini was an aviation pioneer and the pilot of the first controlled, powered flight in Australia
gM6vL TIL some people feel dizzy, lightheaded and even high after eating spicy food. The reason is because capsaicin, the compound that makes hot peppers hot, causes your brain to release chemicals that make some people feel buzzed or high.