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TIL: The inspiration for Gandalf's saying in The Lord of the Rings, "You shall not pass!" could come from a French saying in WWI "Ils ne passeront pas!". JRR Tolkien was a WWI veteran and had participated in the Battle of the Somme.

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OoJZ1 TIL of Neerja Bhanot - a stewardess on hijacked Pan Am flight 73. She hid the passports of American passengers to protect them. Hijackers shot passengers killing 22 and wounding 150. Bhanot was posthumously awarded medals of bravery by India, Pakistan, and the US.
R7Ab6 TIL actor Daniel von Bargen, who was known for his roles as Mr. Kruger on Seinfeld, Commandant Edwin Spangler on Malcolm in the Middle, and Chief Grady in Super Troopers shot himself in the temple in 2012 in an apparent suicide attempt
Lgkp TIL that actual drowning doesn’t look like the drowning we see on TV
ewQ4 TIL that Calvin Graham enlisted in the Navy in 1942 at age 12. He shipped out and became the youngest decorated veteran, earning the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. His mom saw him in a newsreel and notified the Navy who then threw him in the brig, stripped him of his medals and revoked his benefits.
LkpYd TIL that in former soviet territories there are hundreds of small, abandoned nuclear generators (250W tops) in total disrepair.