› added 3 weeks ago

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TIL about the Soviet 'Dead Hand' system — an automated doomsday mechanism designed to launch nuclear retaliation strikes without human intervention after detecting incoming missiles

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via reddit.com

L9Md TIL that David Bowie holds the world record for number of music video plays over a 24-hour period with 51 million plays, occurring January 11th, 2016, the day after his death.
5DKr TIL Girl on the old Czechoslovak one-crown coin was in fact charged with treason and sentenced to ten years in prison for being in Scouts organization, which was banned by the communists. The artist learnt about her story and secretly used her portrait.
W74oX TIL the Rio Negro Bridge is the only major bridge across the Amazon or any tributary in the Amazon
LkEA9 TIL aluminum was the most valuable metal on Earth until the 20th century. When Napoleon the third entertained guests, his guests would use a gold spoon and he would use an aluminum spoon.
QN9dp TIL that from 1810 to 1812, Jonathan Lambert lived on the South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha with two other men and no women, declaring it his micronation