› added 8 months ago

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TIL: The CIA unsuccessfully tried to assassinate the late Cuban dictator Fidel Castro over 634 times, including using an exploding cigar

Read more nbcnews.com

via reddit.com

K7w6 TIL during kidney transplants, the bad kidneys are not usually removed. Instead, the new kidney is put into the pelvis.
5VP8D TIL before commercial air travel was invented, the term "air line" referred to railways that travelled on relatively direct, straight routes that were advertised as being faster than other rail lines
N7N06 TIL that the Olympic torch has 2 flames in it - one yellow that may get extinguished due to wind/rain - but another hotter blue flame (inside the torch) that can reignite the yellow flame if it gets extinguished.. both these are sourced from the original flame from 1928
rNN5o Today I learned Obsidian Entertainment (involved in Planescape: Torment, Kotor II, PoE, Fallout series) worked on a prequel game about Snow White and the Seven Dwarves until it was canceled when Disney declared SW 'untouchable'.
mxyWY TIL: the US Gov't made a deal with the Italian Mafia to ensure that no German or Italian saboteurs snuck in through the New York port/docks by providing information to the US Navy. They also guaranteed no dockworkers would strike, therefore ensuring a constant line of supplies leaving to the front.