› added 1 year ago

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TIL A Polish destroyer ORP Piorun, single handedly charged the Battleship Bismarck, a ship 23 times the weight, and transmitted the message "I am a Pole" before opening fire. Another story states the vessel constantly transmitted this message at the Bismarck for the entire engagement

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EJ9x TIL Leo Szilard conceived the nuclear chain reaction,the nuclear reactor, and wrote the letter suggesting the Manhattan Project, which Einstein signed. After being diagnosed with bladder cancer, he designed his own radiation therapy which led to a full recovery.
aWrL TIL that in 1894 Japan offered to buy the Philippines from Spain for 40 million pounds.
rNGp1 TIL: Operation Plumbbob team - a manhole cover above a nuke underground shot into space, becoming one of the fastest manmade objects in the world at 149,129 mph!
WkB04 TIL about a group of thieves who stole left shoes from display cases in designer shoe showrooms in Sweden, only to steal the paired right shoes from display cases in the showrooms in Denmark, making huge profits.
1aKm4 TIL Elton John once bought a tram while on a 3-day cocaine binge. He had the vehicle shipped from Australia, and two Chinook helicopters were needed to deliver it to his house.