› added 11 years ago

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TIL That the Soviet Union, and now Russia, have a fail-deadly system which automatically launches a full scale nuclear attack in the event that authoritative command is incapacitated. It uses light, seismic, radioactive, and overpressure systems to activate the launch. It is still in use today.

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YpeKG TIL Muggsy Bogues the shortest player ever to play in the NBA history, 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m). Bogues played point guard for four teams during his 14-season career in the NBA.
YpeRW TIL Not all wines are vegan or even vegetarian-friendly because of how the wine is clarified and a process called 'fining'. ... Traditionally the most commonly used fining agents were casein (a milk protein), albumin (egg whites), gelatin (animal protein) and isinglass (fish bladder).
WkBJo TIL: in Monsters Inc., when they point at the White Sock and shout “23-19!”, the 23rd and 19th letter of the alphabet are WS (the initials of White Sock).
OoZv1 TIL that the first proposal for space travel in English history was made by Oliver Cromwell’s brother-in-law in the 17th century, who thought that we just needed to fly 20 miles above the Earth to be released from its magnetism and sail to other planets to trade with the inhabitants.
QJLxX TIL that risking Court Martial, Pilot Gail Halvorsen, made parachutes out of hankies to drop chocolate bars to German children during the Berlin Airlift. This eventually led to Operation Little Vittles which dropped more than 23 tons of candy to the children of a besieged West Berlin.