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135

TIL that during the filming of The Return of the Jedi, Jabba the Hutt was performed by as many as 7 crew members simultaneously, and was one of the more expensive practical effects in the original Star Wars Trilogy.

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woANY TIL the "Ring" spawned a multimedia franchise in Japan (unrelated to the American remake) which crossed over with the Grudge franchise (also unrelated to the American remake)
M7QBm TIL The often repeated story that European Starlings were introduced to the United States as part of a Shakespeare in the Park celebration in 1890 is almost entirely fiction. Dozens of organizations were importing and introducing the birds across the US and Canada for decades prior.
OoW7Y TIL the Batavia was a ship of the Dutch East India that was wrecked off the coast of Western Australia in 1629. Of the 301 passengers who survived the wreck approximately 125 were murdered following a mutiny, including women, children and infants.
WWmY TIL the original Washington monument paid for by Congress was a statue of him shirtless as Zeus called “Enthroned Washington.” It became a laughing stock, inspired a group of citizens to raise money privately for the current monument, and now resides in the Smithsonian.
8aOv8 TIL There is a Virtual Museum of Soviet Repression in Belarus. It covers a part of Belarusian history which is mainly excluded from current Belarusian official historiography by presenting recordings of inhabitants who report on their personal experiences with Repression during the Soviet time