› added 12 years ago

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TIL during WWI, Romania decided to send its vast collection of treasure to Russia for safekeeping. In 1918, the new Soviet government cut all diplomatic ties and refused to return the treasure. Russia still holds the treasure valued at over $1.5 billion and has no intention of giving it back.

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a8eQy TIL that when Radio Shack in 1977 planned its first personal computer, the $599 TRS-80, it built 3,500 units. The company had never sold that many of anything at that price, and planned to use the computer for inventory in its 3,500 stores if it failed. More than 200,000 were sold by 1980.
p868Z TIL that as a colonel in the US Army, Theodore Roosevelt drafted a letter to the Army Headquarters to appeal for his disease-stricken corps to be withdrawn from Cuba. The administration was outraged, but complied after the letter had leaked to the press and turned public opinion.
mZeP TIL As a kid, Vin Diesel was caught attempting to vandalize a theatre with some friends, and instead of calling the police, the artistic director offered the whole group of them parts in the upcoming show.
wYXE TIL that Leonardo Decaprio was all lined up to play Patrick Bateman in American Psycho but the author decided he was too young last minute.
Oo17R TIL When Sweden won the ice hockey world championships in 1957 in Moscow, the Soviets didn't have the national anthem ready. The Swedish team decided to sing it over the stadium's PA system, but didn't know the words to the anthem, so instead they sang the Swedish drinking song, "Helan går!".