› added 8 months ago

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TIL that the longest traffic jam was 12 days long and stretched over 60 miles in China. Locals took advantage of stranded drivers and sold goods at highly inflated prices.

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Lk1gv TIL Project Mogul was a US Airforce secret project to detect nuclear test acoustically with microphones mounted on high altitude balloons. When one such balloon crashed in Roswell, NM in 1947, they covered it up by saying it was a weather balloon.
1ab8X TIL Randy and Linda Guijarro were at an antique shop and Randy came across a shoebox of old tintype photographs. One of the photos he selected out of the box is believed to be just the second known photography of Billy The Kid. Randy paid $2 for the photo, but is now appraised at $5 million.
dOVK TIL: tradition says that when entering a house or any other building, samurais had to leave their katana with a servant, but the wakizashi (a shorter katana) could be worn at all times and places. This is why the wakizashi is often called the samurai’s side arm
kJGn4 TIL In Canada, pepper spray is illegal. If used on someone and causing serious bodily harm or environmental damage, it can lead to penalties of up to a $500,000 fine and up to 3 years in prison.
e0xvL TIL pedestrianism was a famous sport in the 19th century where people would compete to walk the furthest distance in the shortest amount of time. A famous challenge was walking 1000 miles in 1000 hours, first completed by Robert Barclay Allardice in 1809.