› added 10 years ago

169

TIL Swedish astronaut Christer Fuglesang was not allowed to bring reindeer jerky with him on board a shuttle mission as it was “weird” for the Americans so soon before Christmas. He had to go with moose instead.

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via reddit.com

gMbQy TIL that in the Maldives (a strictly Islamic island nation in South Asia), dogs are prohibited for citizens and tourists, except for law enforcement officers, who use sniffer dogs at customs and for special operations
kJv17 TIL the entire continent of Europe has a smaller economy than the United States, $23 trillion compared to $25 trillion, despite having over twice the population, 745 million compared to 333 million
nWXWB TIL Queen Victoria was fifth in line to the British throne when she was born.
X0LQD TIL Static Apnea is a discipline in which a person holds their breath underwater for as long as possible and need not swim any distance. The "All Time List" for men is 11:54 and for women 9:02. The record where 100% oxygen is breathed up to 30 minutes prior to 'breathold' is 24:37 underwater.
GYnvQ TIL that the United States has only been at conflict-free for 43 of its 241 years of age, meaning only 17.8% of its existence have been truly peaceful.