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TIL To get a convincing performance out of the boy that played the kidnapped child in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Spielberg&Co. wore gorilla and clown costumes off-camera to surprise him, and slowly opened presents to get his wide-eyed amazed reaction to seeing aliens in his kitchen.

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yVgoX TIL Paper is the best option on the first throw in a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors when playing against inexperienced players because they tend to lead with Rock. And Scissors is the best option on the first throw against experienced players because they won't lead with Rock as it'd be "too obvious"
gM5Pb TIL about the 1898 Siege of Baler. During the Philippine revolution a 50 soldiers detachment of the Spanish 2nd Expeditionary Battalion Cazadores managed to survive 337 days in a fortified church, while killing 700 Filipino Revolutionaries and suffering only 17 casualties mostly due to disease.
MLLW TIL that hard partying may just be “masked depression,” a clinical condition in which all the “fun” is just a way to conceal overall unhappiness and lowered self-esteem.
meOo TIL “the last great tank battle of the 20th century” took place in the middle of nowhere in the Iraqi desert. Since there were no nearby towns or landmarks, the Battle of 73 Easting had to be named after its map coordinates.
MvrB TIL the founder of Wendy’s, Dave Thomas went back to high school in 1993 to get his GED because he was worried that his success as a dropout might convince some teenagers to quit school.