TIL about the "Iron Harvest". This is an annual event where people help unearth unexploded bombs from European conflicts, specifically WW1. Since 1946, over 600 civilians and ordnance collectors have died from these explosives.
TIL the Ebers Papyrus is an ancient Egyptian medical text from the 16th century BC that contains over 842 remedies for illnesses and injuries. Measuring over 68 feet long and 12 inches wide, it is one of the oldest and most extensive records of Egyptian medical history.
TIL John Gavin, who played Samuel Loomis in the 1960 film "Psycho", was unable to reprise his role in "Psycho II" after being appointed U.S. Ambassador to Mexico on June 5, 1981, by President Ronald Reagan. Thus, his character was made a widow of Lila Loomis (played by Vera Miles) in the sequel.
TIL that while in charge of the MESAN political party, President for Life Jean-Bédel Bokassa appointed Elisabeth Domitien to serve as the prime minister of the Central African Republic, making her Africa's first female head of government.
TIL That the early models of the M-16 rifle were so prone to failures and stoppages that a maintenance comic book was issued to troops in 1969.
TIL drawings of battles between knights and snails appear in the margins of many texts from the 13th and 14th centuries. There is no known explanation for the meaning behind this recurring depiction.
TIL that Tom Hanks learned the accent of the kid who played young Forrest Gump by talking to him for hours and hours, instead of having the kid learn the accent of Tom
TIL Gabriel García Márquez refused to use adverbs ending in -mente in his [Spanish] book "Love in the Time of Cholera", so he requested that his English translator Edith Grossman omit any use of adverbs enging in -ly.