› added 7 years ago

99

TIL Heath Ledger was first choice to play in 2002's Spider-Man, but turned it down as he didn't want to take someone else's dream away of playing Spider-Man. Eventually the role went to Tobey Magurie.

Read more ladbible.com

via reddit.com

G0Jg TIL nearly 100 million sharks were used to be killed each year in China, mostly for their fins. However in few couple of years, 85% of Chinese consumers gave up shark fin soup, largely as a result of campaigning by ex-NBA player Yao Ming.
ZJ8Q TIL In the late 90s, Saddam Hussein commissioned a Quran to be written in his own blood. Now, Muslim leaders aren’t sure what to do with it–To write the Quran in blood was a sin, but to destroy it would also be a sin.
6oBY TIL that the British Royal Navy (at substantial cost) established a fleet of ships known as the ‘West Africa Squadron’ which would patrol the west coast of Africa, capturing slave ships. This fleet is estimated to have captured 1,600 slave ships and freed 150,000 African slaves between 1808 & 1860.
grOk8 TIL that a dump truck caused a New York City elevated freeway to collapse in 1973. The truck was found to have been 9 tons overloaded and the company operating it was blamed. The contract to clean up the results of the failure was subsequently awarded to the same company.
rN67M TIL that the NFL gives teams $4,000 for each Super Bowl ring, and team owners spend their own money to improve them. The rings Chicago Bears players received from the McCaskey family (which owns the team) for Super Bowl XX cost $4,000.