› added 11 years ago

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TIL that a struggling Vin Diesel wrote, directed and starred in a short film which was screened at the 1995 Cannes film festival. Later, after seeing it, Steven Spielberg was so impressed he created the role of Private Caparzo in Saving Private Ryan specifically for him.

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b69bN TIL that the 1970s disco mega-hit "More, More, More" was recorded in Jamaica by American porn star Andrea True. She was there to film some commercials, but a diplomatic dispute with the USA forced her to choose between spending her pay there or forfeiting it. She decided to pay for a demo record.
P1Oyw TIL only 14% of Americans regularly wore seatbelts in the 80's and laws were considered violations of freedom. To regulate seatbelts, the Reagan administration told automakers to install airbags unless they persuaded 2/3 of states to pass seatbelt laws. New seatbelt laws were often weak, anyway.
ZaDD TIL Donald Crowhurst committed suicide after attempting to fake a solo circumnavigation of the globe. His decent into insanity while alone at sea for 8 months was captured in the chilling ships logs he left behind.
vPe5x TIL Mark Twain was born on the day when Halley’s Comet flew by Earth. He said “I came in with Halley’s Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it.” Halley’s Comet next appeared on April 21, 1910 - which is the day Mark Twain died.
jN0vM TIL that Protestant Reformation leader, Martin Luther, was an anti-Semite who denounced and urged the persecution of Jews