› added 13 years ago

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TIL that Thomas de Mahy last words before being guillotined were, ‘I see that you have made three spelling mistakes.’

5Vd8k TIL fission nuclear reactors can form naturally in the Earth’s crust. In 1972, evidence of a 100kW, two-billion year old reactor was found in Oklo, Gabon.
rNRo0 TIL that director Christopher Nolan's brother Matthew was alleged to be a contract killer who kidnapped and tortured an accountant to death in Costa Rica. While being held in a secure prison tower in Chicago, Matthew concocted an elaborate escape attempt using a razor, a harness, and a 31-foot rope.
WkoRX TIL of a Brazilian millionaire who planned to bury his Bentley so he could drive around in the afterlife. After receiving backlash he revealed it was a PR stunt for organ donation, stating "most people bury something a lot more valuable than my car...healthy organs that will save so many lives."
0O65 TIL in the 2006 World Cup final: after he was pulling his shirt, Zidane told Materazzi “If you would like my shirt, I will give it to you after the game”. Materazzi replied “I would rather have your whore of a sister”, which resulted in the subsequent headbutt that got Zidane red-carded.
LQR7Q TIL that the ship that inspired the German gunboat Louisa in the the film "The African Queen" is still in use today. The MY Liemba serves as a passenger and cargo ferry in Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania. It was first built in 1913 and as of 2024 is undergoing renovation before returning to use