1

"TIL HBO didn't submit Alfie Allen (Theon), Carice van Houten (Melisandre), & Gwendoline Christie (Brienne) for Emmy consideration for their work in Game of Thrones' final season, so they each decided to pay the $225 entry fee to submit themselves. This resulted in all three receiving an acting nod."

2

"Today I learned that Danny Devito actually directed Matilda (1996) and how incredibly kind he was to the Matilda Actress Mara Wilson and even made sure that an unfunished cut was shown to her dying Mom."

3

"TIL the day after Robin Williams' s**cide was announced, the National S*****e Prevention Lifeline saw the highest number of calls in a single day in its history with 7,500 (twice the normal number)."

4

"TIL in 1990 a truck driver jumped into a moat in an enclosure at the Detroit Zoo to save a chimpanzee from drowning when the chimp inexplicably jumped into the water. He said "Everyone in the whole place was just standing around watching this monkey drown", so he knew he had to do somethng about it."

5

"TIL a Catholic monk once wrote an angry letter to the cardinals during a 2 year papal election. Upon receiving it, they immediately chose to elect him; he tried fleeing his election but accepted under pressure. One of his only acts was to decree that popes could resign, and he did so 1 week later."

6

"TIL that Chief Seattle was kicked out of the city named after him because he was Native American"

7

"TIL that jaywalking is not illegal in the UK, and that while pedestrian crossings are plentiful, they are not compulsory to use. Ultimately, it is seen as the personal responsibility of the individual to make a sound enough judgement to cross safely."

8

"TIL Stephen King never cashed the $5,000 check that Frank Darabont paid him in 1987 for the rights to adapt his novella 'Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption'. Eventually, King had the check framed and returned it to Darabont with a note that read, "In case you ever need bail money. Love, Steve.""

9

"TIL that in 1997, 24.6% of US 12th graders smoked cigarettes every single day. By 2023, that number fell to 0.7%."

10

"TIL after Post Malone found out that other patrons at the Houston bar he was in had covered his check, he asked the waitress to charge him for anything so he could leave a tip. The waitress then rang him up for a $1 bill, and in return, he tipped her $20,000, leaving a total of $20,001."

11

"TIL In 2003, the All-England Lawn Tennis Club (organizers of Wimbledon) began paying $2M annually for pandemic insurance, which it did for 17 years. In 2020, Wimbledon was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Club collected a $141M payout."

12

"TIL about Cher Ami, a WWI homing pigeon who was shot through the chest, blinded in one eye, and flying with a nearly severed leg—yet still delivered a message that saved 194 men, earned a Croix de Guerre, and now rests in the Smithsonian."

13

"TIL that Americans work more hours a year than the Japanese"

14

"TIL that on 8th May 1945 on "Victory in Europe Day", the princesses Elizabeth and Margaret secretly slipped out of Buckingham Palace to join London’s jubilant crowds. Queen Elizabeth later described this as “one of the most memorable nights of my life.”"

15

"TIL that in February 2025 a group of 8 beavers constructed a dam in the exact location that the Czech government had planned to build one. The initial project had been in the planning stage since 2018 and would have cost over $1.2 million."

16

"TIL in the 1990 film “Pretty Woman”, Richard Gere’s car was a Lotus Esprit after both Ferrari and Porsche had refused to allow their cars to be used in a film associated with p**********n. As a result of the product placement, Lotus sales had tripled."

17

"TIL that in 1953, Ringo Starr developed tuberculosis and was admitted to a sanatorium, where he stayed for two years. While there, the medical staff attempted to alleviate boredom by encouraging patients to participate in the hospital band, resulting in his initial encounter with a drumset."