› added 6 years ago

55

TIL that R. Lee Ermey, actor for the drill instructor in "Full Metal Jacket", was originally meant to be a technical advisor for the film. However, after Ermey made a tape tirading over the various extras, he was cast as the instructor.

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e0LD4 TIL that in WW2, the Italian submarine “Leonardo Da Vinci” torpedoed the troopship “Empress of Canada”, while on a return journey. The ship sank and half of the resulting 392 deaths were Italian prisoners of war.
wlZM TIL that in 1974 a US soldier stole a helicopter and flew to the White House in Washington, D.C. As he hovered above the south grounds, the Executive Protective Service shot and injured him, forcing him to land. He only received a one-year prison sentence and $2,400 in fines.
VB098 TIL that D-Day was conducted on June 6, because that was the birthday of Rommel's wife.
loOXr TIL that Cuban orchestras tune their string instruments to A = 336hz, substantially lower than the conventional A = 440hz, as looser strings are less prone to breaking and requiring expensive replacements.
DdmP TIL that the song “Brown Eyed Girl” was originally called “Brown Skinned Girl” and about an interracial relationship.