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TIL that a German politician was forced to resign after publicly pouring champagne over a homeless man’s head

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via reddit.com

rdpy TIL that while filming Dr. Strangelove, Stanley Kubrick tricked George C. Scott into acting more ridiculously than Scott wanted. He convinced Scott to do over the top practice takes, saying they’d never be used, to warm up. Kubrick used these takes and Scott swore never to work with Kubrick again.
Y7OyG TIL that the "dumb" in dumbbells originally meant "mute". A "dumb" bell was a contraption used to train church bell ringers in the fine art of bell ringing without annoying the entire neighborhood. Later, because of the similarities in shape, the name was applied to certain exercise equipment.
oWYr TIL Frank Shuman was an American inventor, engineer & solar energy pioneer noted for his work on solar engines. He built the world’s first solar thermal power station in Maadi, Egypt in 1912. His plant managed to pump 6,000 gallons of water per minute from the Nile River into adjacent cotton fields.
a8LoM TIL in Nazi Germany, “whisper jokes” (Flüsterwitze) served as a means for citizens to express dissent & critique the regime. One joke involved Hitler visiting an asylum where patients greeted him “Heil Hitler!” except one man. When questioned, he said, “I’m not crazy; I am the head of the ward.”
R7aAQ TIL the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous demanded whiskey during the last few days of his life.