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TIL The WW1 German Battlecruiser SMS Derfflinger gained the distinction of being a ship that spent more time afloat upside down than the right way up.

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awdVN TIL the Nazis tried to make a sun gun, or sonnengewehr. They would launch a 100-meter-wide concave mirror into space and use it to reflect sunlight onto the enemy, burning cities, boiling reservoirs and (pretty much) melting people.
OAx6 TIL A New Acoustic Instrument That Creates Sounds like a Digital Synthesizer. The Yaybahar is a new acoustic instrument designed by Istanbul-based musician Görkem Şen that emits music right out of a retro sci-fi movie, a remarkable feat considering there isn’t a bit of electricity involved.
MealK TIL Arleigh Burke mistakenly led his ships into a Japanese minefield. Admiral Halsey asked him what he was doing in the minefield. Burke replied "about 31 knots." Hence his nickname '31 Knot Burke'
O1ke TIL in order for the OD scene in Pulp Fiction to seem as real as possible, Quentin Tarantino filmed John Travolta removing the needle as fast as he could. Then in editing they reversed the footage so it looked as if Travolta was slamming the needle into Uma Thurman’s chest.
yQ8V TIL the Japanese have onomatopoeias for essences as well as sounds. A notable example is “pika pika,” meaning “to shine”