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TIL about Philip Gale, child prodigy that committed suicide at age 19, jumping from a classroom's window. Before jumping he wrote on the blackboard Newton's equation for how an object accelerates as it falls, along with a sketch of a stick figure tossing a chair. He signed it, "Phil was here"

R7Nn4 TIL that in World War II, the Allies suspected the Nazis of using the Leaning Tower of Pisa as an observation post. A US Army General was sent to evaluate the scenario but was so impressed by the beauty of the campanile that he refused to order an artillery strike in order to preserve it.
6LnY TIL in 1975, Queen’s manager, John Reid, played “Bohemian Rhapsody” for Elton John (another one of his clients) prior to its release. Elton retorted, “Are you mad? You’ll never get that on the radio!”. The song eventually reached #1, and Elton covered it at Freddie Mercury’s tribute concert in 1992.
oRyJ8 TIL at age 25, Sharlto Copley ran a production company and allowed, then 19 year old, Neill Blomkamp to work there in exchange for use of their computers to pursue animation and design. Roughly 10 years on, Neill casts Sharlto in the Oscar nominated District 9 as well as later in Elysium and Chappie
E1K6P TIL monks in Westminster Abbey would eat 6,000 calories a day normally and 4,500 a day when "fasting". They drank a gallon of beer and 10 oz of wine and ate 2.25 lbs of bread, 5 eggs, and 2 lbs of meat or fish a day. Many monks became obese and suffered related conditions.
EeaW TIL Olympic medals used to be given for “Town Planning”