› added 10 years ago

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TIL Benjamin Guggenheim, heir to mining magnate Meyer Guggenheim, dressed in his finest suit, had a glass of brandy and smoked a cigar as the Titanic sank. “Tell [my wife] I played the game out straight to the end. No woman shall be left aboard this ship because Ben Guggenheim was a coward.”

XEKVP TIL of the crazy story of the colonial Australian Judge who refused to acknowledge the validity of any colonial law that contradicted British Law. Eventually he was removed from office and the British had to pass a law to specifically say that colonial laws were valid.
E1PDW TIL Zombies, as we know them were inspired by Richard Matheson's 1954 novel I Am Legend. George A. Romero's seminal film Night of the Living Dead, was partly inspired by Matheson's novel.
m1rNP TIL that Saturn's rings are believed to be relatively new, likely forming within the last 100 million years and as recently as 10 million years ago. They may disappear completely within the next 300 million years.
woJw7 TIL that former NFL player James Brooks was found to be illiterate when he couldn't read court documents. He admitted to not paying over $100k in child support. When the judge asked how he graduated from Auburn without being able to read, he said, " I didn't have to go to class. "
lKX7 TIL that when Meryl Streep auditioned for the lead role of 1976’s “King Kong,” producer Dino De Laurentiis commented to his son in Italian: “She’s ugly. Why did you bring me this thing?” He was shocked when Streep replied to the insult in fluent Italian.