› added 10 months ago

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TIL that in 1949, Wernher von Braun wrote a science fiction novel in which he named the leader of Mars "Elon"

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8evP4 TIL - The chicxulub asteroid that killed the dinosaurs created a magnitude 12 earthquake
X0MWR TIL that if an airline loses your bag, even temporarily, they have to reimburse you for reasonable “essentials” that you have to buy because of the delay, up to $3800. This may include clothes (like coats, shoes, or interview attire) or things like expensive toiletries.
nwgY TIL The “Door Close” button on many elevators doesn’t actually close the doors any faster than normal.
OGjMX TIL in 1957, the BBC aired an April Fools news report about 'spaghetti harvesting' in Switzerland, showing farmers picking pasta from trees. The hoax was so convincing that even the BBC Director General was fooled, and viewers called in asking how to grow their own spaghetti trees.
NXXe1 TIL that the last battle of the thirty years war was fought at Prague where the war started thirty years earlier during the bohemian revolt. Swedish forces took parts of the city including Prague castle and looted it for months before being repelled by bohemian forces.