› added 10 years ago

116

TIL that in 1962, special, hi-tech locks were added to all U.S. nuclear missiles that would prevent launch without a secret, unique launch code. However, military officials quietly circumvented this safeguard by setting every locK to “00000000”. The codes remained unchanged until 1977.

Read more web.archive.org

via reddit.com

Bga6k TIL one of the earliest pregnancy tests was a fish, called a European Bitterling. If injected with a pregnant person's urine, its ovipositor (egg-laying organ) will protrude, indicating a positive result
VMJnB TIL that the M&M’s candies are named as such to represent ‘Mars’ and ‘Murrie’, the last names of the candy’s founders.
4XR4R TIL That, as of 2017, the US State that has the highest percentage of registered organ donors is Montana, with 93%. The lowest is New York at 23%. The overall number of American citizens registered to donate is 42% (2018.)
eE16 TIL that there’s a dress which becomes transparent when you’re turned on
GKNQ TIL that according to a Japanese poll in the year 2000, the Japanese believe that their best invention of the twentieth century was instant noodles.