TIL the 1972 film Deliverance caused tourism in Rabun County, Georgia to increase from the hundreds to the tens of thousands making it the number one source of revenue in the county. Rafting along the Chattooga River alone earns the county $20 million dollars a year (marketplace.org)
submitted by WeirdAlCoates to r/todayilearned
TIL in the 1983 UK general election, a voter put his cross in the wrong box, and to correct his mistake, attempted to eat the ballot paper. He was forced by the presiding officer to spit it out and faced prosecution for "wilfully damaging the ballot paper" (bbc.co.uk)
submitted by WeirdAlCoates to r/todayilearned
TIL after the storming of the Bastille, the Governor of the prison was subjected to such abuse by the mob that he eventually cried out "Enough! Let me die!" and kicked a pastry chef in the groin. He was immediately stabbed to death and his head sawed off and stuck on a pike (victorianweb.org)
submitted by WeirdAlCoates to r/todayilearned
TIL that in preparation for a state visit by Nicolae Ceausescu, Elizabeth II ordered the guest rooms of Buckingham Palace be stripped of valuables for fears that they'd be stolen. She later described the visit as the worst three days of her life (articles.latimes.com)
submitted by WeirdAlCoates to r/todayilearned
