Marlon Brando tried to purchase the rights to a movie about the Iran-Contra scandal using a former CIA connection. The CIA was able to derail this by creating a front company to outbid Brando for the rights. The man they put in charge of this operation was none other than Col. Oliver North.
Thanks to the U.S. version of the sitcom…
Thanks to the U.S. version of the sitcom “The Office”, Scranton, Pennsylvania has gone from a former coal city into a major tourist attraction, revitalizing its downtown area.
Actors in the early silent…
Actors in the early silent film era often went uncredited because audiences just didn’t care — then, in 1910, actress Mary Pickford became so popular cinemas started specially advertising her films, making her the world’s first movie star.
In the Wild West, it was most…
In the Wild West, it was most common for 6-shot revolvers to only be loaded with 5 rounds (the ‘Cowboy Load’). A live bullet in the chamber below the hammer of a 19th century single-action revolver can be set off with a sharp knock, hence it was not desirable to carry one fully loaded.
In 1918, microbiologist Alice Catherine…
In 1918, microbiologist Alice Catherine Evans warned that raw milk should be pasteurized to protect people from various diseases. She was met with skepticism, particularly because she was a woman and did not have a Ph.D. During the 1920s, scientists around the world made the same findings.
The Disgrace of Gijón, a football…
The Disgrace of Gijón, a football (soccer) match between West Germany and Austria, was so bad, that the German TV Commentator refused to comment the game at one point, the Austrian TV commentator asked people to change the channel, and Spain’s newspaper printed the match in their crimes section.
In the 1860’s an atheist tobacconist…
In the 1860’s an atheist tobacconist named George Hull created a 10-foot stone statue, buried it, then exhumed it a year later as proof of giants, all to mock a bible verse that states giants once lived on the Earth.
In the city of Yiwu in eastern…
In the city of Yiwu in eastern China, people were confused how a Chinese couple managed to run a busy restaurant 21 hours a day without getting tired. Locals named them “robot couple restaurant”. Turns out the restaurant is run by two couples, both the men and women are identical twins.
In order to protest the high…
In order to protest the high tariffs enforced by a U.K. censorship board, a filmmaker sent in a 10 hour “movie” of white paint drying. They had to watch the entire film.
Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan & Co…
Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan & Co helped Germany in WWII by allowing Nazi sympathizers to purchase Marks (known as Rückwanderer) with dollars to fund the war effort. The banks also turned over their client lists to the Nazis who in turn used it to recruit spies in the US.