› added 5 years ago

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TIL that in 1969, Candid Camera host Allen Funt was on a plane that was hijacked by two men demanding passage to Cuba. The passengers, having spotted Funt, believed the situation to be a hidden camera prank. He could not convince them otherwise until the plane actually landed in Cuba.

OGZAL TIL that the jerrycan was invented in Nazi Germany. Jerry, also often phrased as Gerry, was used by the allies when referring to German soldiers. So jerrycan means something like “German can”.
aZ5J TIL of the NYC “Pizza Principle” which is a historically accurate “economic law” reported by The New York Times where the price of a slice of pizza has matched the price of a subway ride. It has been successfully used to predict the increase of subway fare on multiple ocassions.
GAYmg TIL former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was dressed every morning — including underwear — by his personal valet, John Moaney.
jNdgE TIL A convicted killer had his death sentence thrown out when it couldn’t be proven that he had assaulted a girl he had murdered. Believing he was now immune, he sent a taunting letter to the prosecutor, admitting the assault. It was used to successfully re-convict him to death.
8areL TIL what to do if you come across a baby bird in the wild. It's normal for fledglings to be on the ground, move them to a safe location (in the bushes, etc) close to where they are only if necessary. Their parents are nearby. Misguidedly "rescuing" them often leads to their death. Call wildlife line