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Paramount's Conditions for Brando
1. Paramount Studios set three conditions for casting Marlon Brando in "The Godfather" (1972). First, Brando had to accept a fee lower than his usual rate. Second, he needed to agree to take financial responsibility for any production delays caused by his behavior. Finally, Brando had to submit to a screen test.
2. After the British burned the Library of Congress in 1814, Thomas Jefferson offered his extensive personal library as a replacement. Although some opposed the contents of his collection, Jefferson insisted on including a wide range of subjects. His donation helped transform the library from a niche institution into a national treasure.
3. Thomas Jefferson kept a Shetland sheep on the White House lawn, which he described as "this abominable animal." The sheep had a reputation for attacking people who took shortcuts across the lawn, injuring several individuals and even killing a small boy.
4. Before British troops fired on civilians during the Boston Massacre in 1770, an unruly mob had attacked them with oyster shells, ice, stones, and sticks. Future President John Adams defended the soldiers in court, arguing that "prisoners must be judged solely based upon the evidence produced against them in court and nothing else." His defense led to the acquittal of six soldiers, while two others were convicted of manslaughter and received reduced sentences.
5. During the California Gold Rush, the land was "virtually treeless," prompting the import of eucalyptus seeds from Australia to meet the demand for wood needed for fuel and construction. These Australian eucalyptus trees were planted because of their rapid growth, which made them ideal for producing firewood. Interestingly, eucalyptus trees have a unique fire-driven reproduction system; their leaf oil facilitates catastrophic wildfires that eliminate competition and enable the growth of the next generation.
6. After executing outlaw George Parrott in 1881, people used his skull as an ashtray, and a doctor made his skin into shoes and a medicine bag. The doctor, who performed the autopsy, later became the Governor of Wyoming and wore the shoes to his inaugural ball.
7. Convicted murderer Richard McNair escaped a U.S. prison in 2006 by mailing himself in a crate and later convinced a Canadian officer he wasn't a fugitive. He evaded capture for over a year, blogging his journey, until arrested in 2007 in New Brunswick.
8. In 1811, John Adams's daughter, Abigail "Nabby" Adams Smith, was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy without anesthesia, a common practice at the time due to the lack of modern anesthetics.
9. George Washington declined a third presidential term because he believed dying in office could imply a lifetime appointment. His decision to retire set the precedent for a two-term limit for U.S. presidents. This precedent remained unbroken until Franklin D. Roosevelt's four-term presidency.
10. During the War of 1812, British Admiral George Cockburn marched into Washington, D.C. He ate Madison's dinner, drank his wine, and then burned the White House. After the White House was burned during the War of 1812, James Madison spent the rest of his time as president living and conducting business from the Octagon House, which he rented for about $500.
