› added 11 years ago

110

TIL officers in the US armed forces face an “up or out” system. If they are not promoted within a certain timeframe, they’re fired.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

okoY TIL that during the Cold War, Chairman Mao held meetings in his swimming pool to embarrass Nikola Khrushchev, who had to wear a floatie as he couldn’t swim. Khrushchev felt insulted and the incident furthered the deterioration of relations between the Soviet Union and China.
R7P9l TIL the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) does not believe it is important for students to take calculus in high school, saying “the pump that is pushing more students into more advanced mathematics ever earlier is not just ineffective: It is counter-productive.”
rR5X1 TIL In the UK there are 53 'Thankful Villages' where all of the troops that left to fight in WWI returned alive. Of that list 13 are 'Doubly Thankful' and had the same fortune in WWII
vPjxL TIL Keanu Reeves was originally offered the role of Chris in Michael Mann’s 1995 movie Heat. He turned it down to play Hamlet in theatre, Val Kilmer was given the role instead
NXpL1 TIL that the Spice Girls were originally a band called Touch.