› added 6 years ago

472

TIL the founder of Yamaha carried his first prototype reed organ over his shoulder on a pole (by foot!) through the mountains on his way to show it off at the Tokyo Music Institute. After it was criticized harshly, Yamaha studied music theory for months in order to deliver an improved prototype.

Read more hub.yamaha.com

via reddit.com

RvN4 TIL George Lucas pitched an ending to ROTJ where Luke helps Vader take off his helmet and then puts it on himself, saying “Now I am Vader. Now I will go and kill the [Rebel] fleet and I will rule the universe”. His co-writer, Lawrence Kasdan, liked the idea, but Lucas decided not to go that dark.
aw68A TIL about John Sedgwick a US general who asked his men during a battle "Why are you ducking? They couldn't hit an elephant from this distance." Sedgwick was shot under the left eye by an enemy sharpshooter as he finished the sentence.
kOEdE TIL the longest lighting strike on record was 400 miles (700km) long, stretching from the Atlantic coast of Brazil into Argentina
W7QVB TIL of socialite Ida Wood: in 1907 she emptied her 1 million dollar bank account(21 million in today's money), declared she was “tired of everything" and shut herself in a hotel room along with her sisters. She stepped out of the room for the first time 24 years later
ZpeK4 TIL that the phrase “Siamese Twins” originated with Chang and Eng Bunker, conjoined twins from Siam born in 1811 who widely exhibited themselves throughout Europe and the United States. They became rich, settled in North Carolina, married two sisters, had 21 children, and owned slaves.