› added 12 years ago

96

TIL Its not actually true that the US space program spent millions on developing a pen that worked in space, whereas the Russians just used a pencil. They both used pencils at first, but the shavings and chipped graphite floating around were harmful to the astronauts and computers

xGJk TIL Judge Denny Chin received no letters of support for Bernie Madoff’s character, and chose to sentence him to the maximum sentence of 150 years
Egopx TIL that none of the people who were filmed or photographed falling from the Twin Towers on 9/11 have ever been officially identified. The collapse of the towers before their remains were removed from the scene made it impossible to identify them through DNA analysis.
GYmQE TIL of two-time Oscar-winner Glenda Jackson, who quit acting in 1992 to join the British parliament. She became a junior minister in the Blair government, and had aspirations to be Mayor of London. In 2015, at the age of 78, she quit politics, reverted to acting, and since won a Tony Award
grAPD TIL in 1964, Japan awarded the First‐Class Order of Merit of the Grand Cordon of the Rising Sun, one of its highest decorations, to Curtis LeMay, the General who had directed the fire bombing of Japan's cities which caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.
jNlgp TIL that the Kingsmen song "Louie Louie" (which was investigated for indecency by the FBI for 31 months, which turned up nothing) did in fact contain swear word that was never detected by the FBI: the drummer audibly shouts "F***!" at approx. 0:55, when he dropped a drumstick during recording.