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74

TIL that the renowned mathematician Abraham de Moivre correctly calculated the day of his death

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65Pl TIL that the wind on neptune is so fast that it breaks the sound barrier
6ymW TIL that in the afternoon of 9/11, Rumsfeld gave the following directive to his aides: “Judge whether good enough hit S.H.” (Saddam Hussein) at same time. Not only UBL" (Osama bin Laden). Need to move swiftly – Near term target needs – go massive – sweep it all up. Things related and not.“
78V5O TIL of the British warship the HMS Shannon that captured the USS Chesapeake during The War of 1812. The Shannon’s unimpressive appearance which was on the expressed order of the captain Philip Broke, fooled the enemy into vastly underestimating her highly well trained crew.
0wrX5 TIL Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson, who personally intervened and stopped the My Lai massacre, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his action. However, after reading the citation, which included a fabricated account of him rescuing a young girl under heavy fire, he threw his medal away.
Oov74 TIL Wings (1927), not Top Gun, was one of the first collaborations with the DoD (War Department) and Hollywood.