› added 12 years ago

119

TIL in 1959, a radio DJ named Peter Tripp kept himself awake for over 200 hours for charity, and never recovered psychologically.

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J1LRm TIL on Dec 16, 1962 John Paul Scott escaped Alcatraz and swam to Fort Point beneath the Golden Gate Bridge where he was found hypothermic and exhausted. It is the only verified case of an inmate escaping and reaching shore by swimming. He was then returned to Alcatraz.
p8poA TIL that all the dogs who played Lassie were male and were all descended from the initial Lassie, a collie named Pal
nJYb TIL that homebrewing beer or wine with an ABV greater than 0.5% was illegal until 1978 when President Jimmy Carter legalized the practice.
8aZMG [TIL] the famous Vidalia sweet onion has only been in stores since the 1950's, when they were first sold in Piggly Wiggly stores.
rNEBw TIL about Italo Balbo, a high ranking Italian fascist who despised Germans and strongly criticized racial laws, a strong opponent of Italy's decision to join the conflict on Germany's side, his plane was shot down by friendly fire over Libya in 1940, two weeks after Italy joined the war.