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TIL George Lucas hired Harrison Ford to build cabinets in his home, saw enough in him to cast him in American Graffiti and launched his career.

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ne0p9 TIL about the Maxi Trial. Held in Italy between 1986 and 1992, it convicted 338 mafiosi including 19 bosses, the latter of whom all got life sentences. It was the largest trial of all time. The two (Italian equivalent of) lead prosecutors and several judges were murdered afterwards.
RQZ4 TIL three red pandas escaped from the Hangzhou Zoo after a tree branch fell on the enclosure fence and provided a way out. It took 242 days until the last one was caught and returned to the zoo.
kJO4m TIL that chocolate is crystalline and therefore has six phases (different ways of arranging crystals). This is important for the production of glossy, brittle, melt-in-mouth-not-in-hand tempered chocolate.
alAL TIL that so many British men died in World War I that young women were warned that only 10% would marry. Newspapers discussed the country’s “Surplus Two Million” women.
ADogB TIL of 'holdout houses' - old properties that hold out against new development. One such occupied 'million dollar corner' at Macy's in New York. Another example is Edith Macefield's house in Seattle, whose owner famously turned down an offer of $1M. She willed it to the construction superintendent.