› added 10 years ago

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TIL that in a gesture of solidarity with the starving troops in Stalingrad, the german commander, Kurt Zeitzler reduced his own rations to their level. After 2 weeks he had lost 26 pounds.

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P15XV TIL Russell Crowe turned down an offer to play Aragorn in the LOTR trilogy that included 10% of the backend grosses (which would've been about $100 million). He felt WB had forced Peter Jackson to make the offer & that Jackson had somebody else in mind & he should be allowed to hire who he wants.
ADrR7 TIL that Dave Grohl does not read Music but perceives it through Ear and Intuition. He also perceives the Guitar as a Drum Set.
WkKZ4 TIL Buddy Ebsen (Jed Clampett) was the second actor to be cast as the Tin Woodsman in the Wizard of Oz, but had to drop out of the cast because the aluminum powder in his makeup nearly caused his death.
PvJL TIL that the version of the Star-Spangled Banner traditionally heard at sports events is only the first of four original verses written by Francis Scott Key. Most Americans have never heard the last three.
e01pJ TIL that before elevators the piano nobile or noble level (first storey in European terms; second floor in American terms) had the best rooms with large windows and balconies, avoiding the damp and smell of the street. Some newer buildings preserve the tradition.