› added 10 years ago

70

TIL that during late WW2, the Nazis designed a plane named the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet. It flew so fast that it was untouchable by enemies, but it went so fast that its own pilots weren’t capable of shooting enemy aircrafts before their plane flew past their adversaries.

Read more m.wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

aPoN TIL that hat making in the past involved prolonged exposure to mercury vapours, causing poisoning which symptoms are sensory impairment (vision, hearing, speech), and a lack of coordination. this inspired terms like “Mad as a hatter” and of course, the mad hatter of Alice in wonderland.
Oo8X1 TIL Douglas Ginsburg withdrew his nomination to the US Supreme Court after it was discovered he smoked pot with his Harvard Law School students. Anthony Kennedy was the replacement nominee.
pZNp TIL that in 2009 a Facebook campaign in the UK sent Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name” to number 1 in order to keep the winner of Simon Cowell’s X-Factor from reaching the top
d8OpZ TIL that “Weird Al” Yankovic sought permission from Coolio before making “Amish Paradise”, offering a percentage of the revenues, but he declined. Coolio later stated that it was a stupid decision and that he wished somebody had stopped him.
1aepd TIL Ritter's sport chocolate bars are designed to fit a gentleman's sport jacket.