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TIL one of the most brutal prisons in the US was Angola, Louisiana, which was run like a plantation. In the 1930s, hardened prisoners broke down upon learning of their sentence there. At one point, 10% of Angola prisoners were stabbed.

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v1pYL TIL during the film production of Apollo 13, producers originally wanted Kevin Costner to play as Jim Lovell due to his facial similarities with the main character. Instead, Tom Hanks was cast because he was a big fan of Apollo and space histories.
vPljx TIL that the FBI and CIA recruit heavily from the Mormon population because they are usually cheaper to do a security clearance on, they often speak another language from their mission trips, and they usually have a low-risk lifestyle.
wonyP TIL in 1987, three unidentified individuals hijacked two Chicago television signals wearing a Max Headroom mask. Where the man was seen and heard uttering garbled remarks before dropping his pants, partially exposing his buttocks, and was then spanked with a flyswatter by a woman.
xVyEg TIL of Hy-Brasil, a phantom island said to lie in the Atlantic Ocean west of Ireland. Irish myths described it as cloaked in mist except for one day every seven years when it becomes visible. It is listed on several early maps, but still cannot be reached.
JYlkk TIL of Paddy the Wanderer, a beloved stray Airedale Terrier from Wellington, New Zealand who befriended workers, cabbies, and seamen; sometimes stowing away on visiting ships (said to have crossed Tasman Sea many times).