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TIL, Italy once tried to ban pasta because they believed that it weighed Italians down and prevented them from achieving any kind of greatness.

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OoBNa TIL Evanna Lynch, Luna in Harry Potter movies, was pen pals with J.K before she was cast. Battling anorexia, Lynch wrote to Rowling telling her the books gave her hope and asked to be cast as Luna. J.K. told her she'd need to be well first. Lynch said, "In the end, I think that's why I recovered."
d8E17 TIL Roald Dahl wrote a second "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" book, called "Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator". It has space travel, Cold War politics, aliens, and Charlie's grandparents abusing drugs.
OKNg TIL 20 to 25 percent of US Army officers killed during the Vietnam War were fragged by soldiers under their command. Soldiers posted bounties in underground GI newspapers and pooled money to pay out rewards for the murder of targeted officers.
5pWr TIL that Robert De Niro was so dedicated, to prepare for his roles, he actually gained 60 lbs for Raging Bull, lived in Sicily Italy for The Godfather Part II, ground his teeth for Cape Fear, became a cab driver for Taxi Driver, and learned to play the saxophone for New York, New York.
b9Y7j TIL that after Hunter S. Thompson, the author best known for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, died, he was cremated and his ashes were fired out of a cannon. The cannon was placed on top of a 153-foot statue of a fist holding a peyote button, paid for by Johnny Depp.