› added 4 months ago

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TIL that in 2000, thieves tried to steal £350 million worth of diamonds at an exhibition in London, only for the police to outsmart them by studying the Thames's tides to predict the date of the raid, correctly guessing the thieves would escape in a boat and therefore need the tide to be high.

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VMxgB TIL polar bears aren’t white. But Each hair is a clear hollow tube, which makes them look white
XVl6 TIL there is a Jules Verne novel called “Paris in the Twentieth Century”, which was written in 1863, set in 1960 and first published in 1994.
9YZm7 TIL that the quote “A jack of all trades is a master of none,” has actually been shortened. The original quote is “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but often times better than a master of one.” The original quote meant the opposite of the current one.
OdJY TIL the winners of the 2016 Oscars also received a unofficial giftbag which included a sex toy
LQkrP TIL - In 1956, the Marine Corps' AD-4B (A-1) Skyraider had a "relief tube" for pilots to urinate, but no provision for #2. An aviator on a 4 hour flight needed to take off his helmet, and poop into it.