WD-40 was originally used to protect the outer skin of the Atlas Missile

The product worked so well that several employees snuck some WD-40 cans out of the plant to use at home.  The name of product is a combination of (1) the abbreviation for “water displacement” and (2) the number of tries it took Rocket Chemical Company to the the formula worked out.

WD-40 was originally used to protect the outer skin of the Atlas Missile

Kim Peek could read two pages at once - one page with each eye

And he could remember everything he read on each page.  It is said that he read over 12,000 books and could recall every word in every book he read.  Peek was the inspiration for the movie Rain Man.

Kim Peek could read two pages at once - one page with each eye

The distinctive "old person" smell is caused by a chemical breakdown in skin glands

The distinctive “old person smell” is produced when chemicals from the skin glands are broken down into small odorous molecules that waft away into the air. The specific chemical that gives old folks their unique odor is a compound called 2-nonenal. Created by the oxidative breakdown of other ch...
The distinctive "old person" smell is caused by a chemical breakdown in skin glands

Star Wars was originally prefixed by the definite article ‘The’

Removing the definitive article from the title made sequels easier to name.

Star Wars was originally prefixed by the definite article ‘The’

Michael Myers mask in Halloween is just a Captain Kirk mask altered slightly and painted white

 
An unaltered Captain Kirk mask would have just been too scary.

Michael Myers mask in Halloween is just a Captain Kirk mask altered slightly and painted white

In Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Charlie Sheen stayed awake for 48 hours to achieve a suitably wasted look for his cameo

In the original script, Sheen’s character is named Garth Volbeck, and had a full backstory that played prominently into the movie’s theme.

In Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Charlie Sheen stayed awake for 48 hours to achieve a suitably wasted look for his cameo

Sean Connery turned down roles in The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings.

He also declined to play roles in Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones 4 and Blade Runner.

Sean Connery turned down roles in The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings.

Sean Connery wore a wig in every single of his Bond performances.

According to Connery, he had a piece in ALL of the Bond pictures, but a partial one. His hairline over the forehead was the last to go, and the first to go was the hair on either side of his head.  He says that in Dr. No, he had partial pieces at the left and right.

Sean Connery wore a wig in every single of his Bond performances.

William Goldman's original script title for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was The Sundance Kid and Butch Cassidy.

The names were reversed when Paul Newman took on the role of Butch.

William Goldman's original script title for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was The Sundance Kid and Butch Cassidy.

In 2002, Steven Spielberg finally finished college after a 33-year hiatus.

He turned in Schindler’s List for his student film requirement.  The picture was assigned a small budget of $22 million, as Holocaust films are not usually profitable.

In 2002, Steven Spielberg finally finished college after a 33-year hiatus.