› added 8 years ago

86

TIL of Barrack Busters, an improvised motar created by the IRA that fires propane tanks

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AAal TIL after the first attempt of the United States to launch a satellite into orbit failed, the Soviet Union offered the United States aid which was earmarked for undeveloped countries.
9YXyM TIL that in ww2 there was a group of german scientists that wanted to send out a satellite with a concave mirror mounted on it into space, this was so the sun would bounce of the mirror and create a concentrated ray of sunlight destroying targets or killing through heat.
QNv7e TIL that an Ethiopian athlete, unable to find a suitable pair of shoes, ran the marathon barefoot at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, won the race, and set a new world record.
4XlJg TIL engineers have been able to increase the damage resistance of an airplane's black box by 60 times thanks to studying the anatomy of a woodpecker's skull.
e04OD TIL that Red Foreman in That 70's Show was supposed to be played by Chuck Norris, but he was unable to make his audition due to scheduling conflicts