lxB5 TIL the inventor of the television would not let his own children watch TV. He once said to his son “There’s nothing on it worthwhile, and we’re not going to watch it in this household, and I don’t want it in your intellectual diet.” - Philo T Farnsworth
Qlwk TIL George Lucas wanted Tupac Shakur to play a Jedi for Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in 1996. He died before his audition and was replaced in 1997 when production began.
Lpwr TIL: The Darwin Awards poster child, who sued McDonalds over coffee burns, is actually a very sweet old lady who only want the company to be accountable. She did not get millions from the lawsuit as reported, and almost died from the burns she sustained.
4d4b TIL in January 1972, Ariel Sharon decided 3,000 Bedouin were in the way of a massive military exercise he wanted to conduct. So he summarily expelled two tribes from their homes, during a deep winter spell. At least 40 people died, mostly babies, children and the elderly.
bmkE TIL a French mountaineer found a 47-year-old treasure at Mont Blanc worth $341,300 and returned it because he “didn’t want to keep something that belonged to someone who’d died.”
lj5r TIL Queen Christina of Sweden hired Rene Descartes as her private tutor. Christina was so excited that she wanted her philosophy lessons to start at 5am every morning. Descartes, who was used to sleeping in, became ill and died shortly after.
gAVD TIL: That on 9/11, after the first plane hit the North Tower of the WTC, people in the South Tower wanted to leave but were advised by a announcement to stay at their desks. Some of those who tried to leave anyway were turned back by security in the building before the exits. 1,120 died.
aM5b TIL One of the worst nuclear disasters involved 112,000 Brazilians being inspected after a piece of radiotherapy equipment was stolen. One man wanted to make his wife a ring from the glowing blue powder. She died.
leXB TIL Mike Myers was sued by Universal studios for 3.8 million because he backed out of his “Dieter” contract, saying he didn’t want to cheat moviegoers with a terrible script. Instead of paying he starred in The Cat in the Hat
XPpX TIL a Finnish tax auditor died at his desk at work and no one noticed for two days. “People thought he wanted to work in peace and no one disturbed him.”