› added 4 years ago

50

TIL In the 1970's, George Lucas wanted to make a Flash Gordon movie but wasn't able to secure the rights to it. So, instead, he put his efforts into his own project called Star Wars.

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woO51 TIL that before trees took over, the earth was populated by a giant species of fungus called Prototaxites, which could grow up to 24 feet or 8 metres.
E1YV7 TIL that George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch has its own fire department, and they have a mutual agreement with the government to respond to fires off the compound.
PYvMO TIL the 1987 Remembrance Day bombing in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland which killed 10 civilians including elderly attendees was met with such condemnation the IRA apologised for the attack, disbanded the unit responsible and admitted it had made a mistake.
ARgl TIL that following the release of The Godfather, James Caan, who played Sonny, was so closely identified with his role that he won “Italian of the Year” twice in New York, even though he isn’t Italian.
0dW9N TIL that despite living under Jim Crow, Percy Julian was a doctor who pioneered the drug industry. After he developed the chemical synthesis of hormones like testosterone & progesterone, he became the first African American chemist inducted into the National Academy of Sciences.