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TIL that Kit Harington is a direct descendant of Robert Catesby - the mastermind behind the plot to blow up parliament. Kit also plays Catesby in the BBC drama Gunpowder, retelling the story behind the plot.

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v1BbL TIL Mt. Everest is actually not the tallest mountain on Earth, instead it has the tallest elevation or highest point above sea level. Mauna Kea in Hawaii is the actual tallest mountain, however most of it is underwater so it is often discredited.
1LA7 TIL Charles Lyne, a British filmmaker, raised $8486 to force two people to watch a 10 hour 7 minute movie of paint drying. Those two people were employees of the BBFC, responsible for classifying movies, and the stunt was done to protest the BBFC’s power of censorship.
XEL8X TIL Bananas and Tomatoes are technically berries whilst Strawberries and Raspberries are not. This is because the technical classification of a berry is any fruit derived from a single flower with one ovary, and both raspberries and strawberries stem from flowers with more than one ovary.
4kMAb TIL there was an early 1900s act named "Sober Sue", who's draw was she never smiled. A theater offered $1000 to any one who could make her laugh, attracting big comedians. Crowds came out to watch them try, and fail, giving them a free show. Later it came out that Sue suffered from facial paralysis.
kJvQ5 TIL that Bill Mitchell, GM design head, wanted the Mako Shark concept car painted the same color as an actual mako shark mounted in his office. After the design team failed to match the color, they stole the shark and painted it to match the car's paint. Mitchell never realized the difference.