› added 11 years ago

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TIL an Iraqi suicide bombing instructor accidentally used live explosives while conducting a demonstration and blew himself up together with 21 members of his class

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via reddit.com

rN7Lw TIL in the Pacific Theatre of WWil, the U.S. Army & Navy utilized ships called “BRL”s (Barge, Refrigerated, Large) whose entire purpose was to make & supply ice cream to increase troop morale. Each barge cost $1M, could produce 10gal of ice cream every 7min, and could store up to 2000gal.
gMEZb TIL of Ranald MacDonald, a Chinook/Scotsman from Oregon Country, who went to Japan in 1848 despite its strict isolationist policy. Risking death, he pretended to be shipwrecked & got captured. While imprisoned, the gov't sent 14 samurai to be his pupils, as he became Japan's first English teacher.
WZDd TIL that Game considers Eminem to be “the most lyrically insane” hip-hop artist alive and when asked what he would do if Eminem started an industry beef with him he simply said, “run.”
16wEW TIL that the snow used in the Wizard of Oz was actually asbestos fibre
Br5VL TIL that Hydrilla was introduced to America in the 1950's from someone who discarded a used aquarium containing the plant into waters near Tampa Bay, FL. It is now one of the most invasive marine plant species in the Western hemisphere and notoriously difficult to eradicate much less manage.