› added 9 years ago

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TIL that Billiards directly contributed to the invention of plastic since ivory was too expensive for billiard balls

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via reddit.com

4kK8R TIL that J.M.W Turner once had himself tied to the mast of a steamboat in order to experience a snow storm so that he could paint it. This is what inspired his work Snow Storm - Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth.
QN7QX TIL Gotye’s widely popular song “Somebody That I Used To Know” had its main riff sampled from an instrumental track by Luiz Bonfa
1aALD TIL Skinny Puppy, a Canadian band sent a bill to the US military requesting $666,000 in royalties for playing their music as torture for Guantanamo Bay's prisoners.
R5517 TIL that the Oscar Academy wanted to give Dead Man's Chest an award/nomination for make-up, not digital effects because they were fooled into thinking that Davy Jones was Bill Nighy wearing make-up and rubber tentacles. They had to convince them it was 100% CGI.
7VXp TIL Karla Homolka tortured and raped three children with her husband, and likely killed them, but was only convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years… Despite there being videos of her committing the rape and torture. She was released in 2005 and now has three children.