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TIL that in 1996, the legislature of New Mexico adopted an official state question: “Red or green?” It refers to the question always asked whether one prefers red or green chile when ordering New Mexican cuisine.

Read more sos.state.nm.us

via ift.tt

jND1E TIL of Victor Prather, a NASA pilot who successfully tested a new space suit in a low-orbit flight in 1961. Prather opened his suit’s faceplate when he could breathe again on descent, and landed in the ocean as planned; however, his suit’s buoyancy was ruined by his open faceplate, and he drowned.
ZpewG TIL Sinéad O’Connor's was a victim of the Catholic Church's Magdalene Laundries
W5a4 TIL the P-51 Mustang WWII-era fighter was used by the USAF until the middle of the Korean War, and even served with the Dominican Republic until 1984.
QNxmk TIL about "Man Engines" which were moving ladders that constantly moved up and down about 10 feet and used to move miners from 1000 ft deep mine shafts by stepping on and off the ladder step at the top of the up stroke, then stepping onto the next step on the down stroke (animation in link)
ADoDw TIL of Karl P. Schmidt, a herpetologist who documented his own death after he was bitten by a juvenile boomslang snake. He made detailed notes on the symptoms he experienced, almost right up to the end. He died 24 hours after the bite, bleeding in his lungs, kidneys, heart, and brain.