Bglrx TIL on 28 February 1998, one day after recording the final episode of Father Ted, the show’s lead actor Dermot Morgan suffered a fatal heart attack while hosting a dinner party at his London home.
rNoRW TIL that Caesar's famous quote "The Die is Cast" was not actually original, but him quoting the play "Arrephoros" by the greek playright Menander.
NXo7M TIL that after John Lennon was shot in 1980, Yoko Ono asked the hospital to delay announcing his death because she did not want their 5-year-old son Sean to learn of his father's death from a TV announcement.
l7koB TIL when George Lucas first showed Carrie Fisher the metal bikini costume, she thought he was kidding & it made her very nervous cause it meant she'd be "nearly naked." She also said "I had to sit very straight because I couldn't have lines on my sides, like little creases. No creases were allowed".
8eWa8 TIL the film "The Fast and the Furious" was named after a 1954 B movie. The original titles were "Racer X" (the name of the article the movie was based on), "Redline," "Race Wars," and "Street Wars"
P1GYe TIL that in 1990, a man named Iben Browning predicted a massive earthquake would hit New Madrid, Missouri on December 3rd. The prediction sparked a panic. Schools in 5 states closed, and over 200 media outlets sent reporters to the area. Browning had no seismology expertise, and nothing happened.
ep80n TIL Marcahuasi, a plateau in the Peruvian Andes, has massive rocks resembling human faces and animals. While some claim they are ancient sculptures, archaeologists have determined they are the product of erosion. The site also features mysterious pre-Columbian ruins with doorways only 3 feet high.
VByMB TIL that for 75 years up until 2023 the Alta Ski Area used Artillery Howitzers to trigger artificial avalanches and prevent more destructive avalanches from happening.
X0xEE TIL hiccups are contagious (in similar ways that yawns or laughter is)
OG1oe TIL Dr. Seuss's widow had stringent terms when she sold the film rights to How the Grinch Stole Christmas. They included $5m upfront, 4% of the box-office, 50% of merchandising & 70% of book tie-in profits. Also, only directors & writers who'd earned at least $1m on a previous project were eligible.
69nGZ TIL that Boxing Day began as a day servants were allowed to visit their families, taking home a “Christmas box” of money, gifts and sometimes leftover food from their masters. A custom already common enough to be mentioned by Samuel Pepys in 1663.
wovwW TIL the international fixed calendar has 13 equal months of 28 days. Sunday is always the 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd day of a month. Leap or year days, not part of the week, make a long weekend.