› added 6 years ago

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TIL that Elton John's 1970 breakout hit "Your Song" was written by Elton and originally recorded by the band Three Dog Night, but they did not release it as a single as they wanted to let John, then an upcoming artist, have a go with it.

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4n9w TIL The Northern lights make an audible sound in the atmosphere
v1aoB TIL In the 1940s the Superman Radio Show had Superman fight their version of the KKK using real information about the Klan. This was a crippling blow to the organization, causing recruitment to drastically decrease. In response the KKK ordered a boycott of the Radio Show’s sponsor, Kellogg.
6EQ5Z TIL of Russia's "Dead Hand" (aka "Perimeter") automated nuclear defense system. If a large spike in radiation levels was picked up within Russian borders (indicating nuclear detonation), the system would target many different cities and launch nukes. It is believed to still be active.
wLVRW TIL that when Kim Peek managed payrolls of 160 people, he was able to complete this task in just hours without a calculator and when he was fired to be replaced by a computer, it took two full time accountants plus the computer just to replace him.
69de7 TIL Mapmakers deliberately put slight mistakes (Trap streets) in their maps so they can tell when someone copies them. If another map has the same mistake, that's very convincing evidence.