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TIL that Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph suffered immense personal tragedies, execution of his brother Maximilian in Mexico, suicide of his son and heir, murder of his wife and finally assassination of his nephew Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 that lead to WW1 and destruction of Habsburg Empire

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VMAr0 TIL James Lick, once the wealthiest Californian, donated the world's first permanently staffed mountaintop telescope to the University of California in 1888. His will only stipulated that he is to be buried under it and fresh flowers placed on his grave "always".
e0945 TIL Viggo Mortensen would not have taken the part of Aragorn in LOTR had it not been for his 11 year old son's enthusiasm for the books. He performed his own stunts insisting he used a real steel sword and he also purchased the two horses, whom he rode and bonded with over the duration of the films.
9wkx7 TIL Michael Jackson was briefly involved with composing music for Sonic 3, and any hint of his work in the re-released versions were removed
aw6yN TIL in the late 1990s, a man studying the underground chambers of the Colosseum found patterns of holes, notches and grooves in the walls. By connecting the dots of the negative space, he discovered that a system of elevators had been used to transport wild animals and scenery to the main floor.
mxwNM TIL in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Cap's list of things to learn about varies based on the regional release. In Australia, it includes Steve Irwin, in South Korea, it has Dance Dance Revolution, etc.