TIL: The Navy patented an 'inertial mass reduction device', an 'electromagnetic force field generator', a 'high-frequency gravitational wave generator' and a room temperature super conductor in 2019. All created by a mysterious aerospace engineer by the name of Dr. Salvatore Cezar Pais
TIL during the chaos caused by the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake, the Imperial Japanese Army murdered an estimated 6,000 ethnic Koreans and Japanese socialists. The massacre is alternatively denied and celebrated by Japanese right-wing groups today.
TIL that Napoleon was of average height for his era and that his reputation as a short man was largely spread through the works of British satirical cartoonist James Gillray. His satire was so effective that Napoleon once said that Gillray "did more than all the armies of Europe to bring me down."
TIL Latvia's symbol of national identity is a rare breed of cow with light blue or dark ultramarine hides, dark meat and produce very little milk. Under Soviet times, the cow was considered useless and tried to breed other cow breeds to replace it, nearly driving the blue cow to extinction.
TIL that despite underground room-and-pillar mining taking place as early as the 13th Century, the use of canaries for early warning of toxic gases began only in 1900, with mice first being used for the role in 1896.
TIL Paddy Chayefsky, author of cult film 'Network', was hugely successful in the 50s but by the 70s was out of work, forgotten, and suicidal. The legendary 'Mad as Hell' speech was his own personal thoughts, and reflected his own view of the world at that time.
TIL there were supersonic passenger airplanes in the past that could go up to 1500 mph. However, our current commercial airliners only cruise at the speed of 575 mph
TIL: That someone calculated possible dates where Ice Cube's "Today Was A Good Day" could have happened. Other individuals found other potential dates, but the first discovered date was January 20, 1992.
TIL Dolly Parton wrote 'Jolene' and 'I Will Always Love You' on the same day. Both hit #1 on US Country Charts, went Platinum, and made Rolling Stone's Top 500 Songs of All Time. 'I Will Always Love You' was named the #1 Song of the Rock Era in "The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era: 1955–2015".