› added 7 years ago

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TIL in 1996 an instrument failure caused a plane to lose control and crash just after takeoff, killing 189 people. It was later determined that the device used to measure airspeed was blocked by a wasp nest

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JKk1 TIL that the reason why some birds walk with bobbing heads, it’s so that as the heads stays motionless for a short time, they are able to observe a clearer view of their surroundings for predators
5YGMB TIL that melanin forms a protective cap over the nucleus to protect against DNA damage.
b78N TIL Robert Smith (of The Cure) at 29 years old was severely depressed as no rock n roll band had put out a masterpiece album in their late 20’s. He then made “Disintegration” about that subject; it’s regarded as a masterpiece.
rGYd TIL Billionaire cocaine smuggler Sal Magluda won 3 National Powerboat Championships and frequently appeared on TV despite being a fugitive; nobody noticed for 6 years
YJVv TIL Andrew Jackson was the only U.S. President in American history to pay off the national debt