› added 11 years ago

103

TIL Hyenas are more closely related to felines than canines.

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o9ZW TIL the “strangest” battle of WWII refers to the Battle for Castle Itter the only battle in the war in which Americans and Germans fought as allies.
b477 TIL AT&T almost caused nuclear war. In 1961, the US lost contact with its early warning systems. Assuming the USSR had attacked, bombers were scrambled but recalled when contact was made with an EWS base. The phone blackout was caused by a faulty AT&T switch they had promised to replace.
ANNpl TIL there's a species of Australian grasshopper that's made up of all-female clones
k5Ed TIL that prior to Chris Farley’s death, there were plans to make a Matt Foley movie (SNL motivational speaker who “lived in a van down by the river”) with David Spade in a supporting role
jdbp TIL there was a form of Icelandic witchcraft involving “Necropants” where someone would flay the skin off the legs of a friend’s corpse, steal a coin from a widow, and then wear the skin with the coin in the scrotum. The ritual was supposed to bring wealth.