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TIL that the plot of “West Side Story” was conceived by Jerome Robbins in the 1940s when his then-boyfriend, Montgomery Clift, suggested a musical adaptation of Romeo and Juliet but with gangs in New York. The idea stuck with Jerome, who called Clift a “theatrical genius” early in their affair.

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90np TIL that the Americans considered creating a “Gay Bomb” that would release hormones in an attempt to cause all the enemy forces to become attracted to each other. They were looking into alternative forms of chemical warfare at the time.
8kbP TIL that there was a real white whale who attacked whalers who was the inspiration for “Moby Dick”.
PYwxJ TIL Jackie Chan is extremely unpopular in his native Hong Kong due to his antidemocratic stance and outspoken support for China’s ruling Communist Party
PR6V TIL Canada Dry’s popularity as a mixer began during Prohibition, when its flavor helped mask the taste of homemade liquor. The “Dry” in the brand’s name refers to not being sweet, as in a dry wine. it was far less sweet than other ginger ales then available; as a result, “Dry” was added to its name.
M5o0 TIL the Larry the Lobster sketch on SNL where Eddie Murphy asks the viewers to call-in to spare Larry’s life caused such a spike on phone networks that AT&T established communication with TV networks so that they could be warned of potentially disruptive future events. It remains in use to this day