› added 7 years ago

176

TIL That NASA pilots routinely intercepted and defeated U.S. Navy Phantom IIs in mock dogfights, until complaints from the Navy put an end to the harassment.

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4kNJ TIL that in 1981, 8% of personal bankruptcies cited medical costs as a contributing factor compared to 62% in 2009
JYL7B TIL the Mughal Emperors of India kept over 1,000 tamed cheetahs for use in hunting. Because cheetahs do not breed in captivity this caused their extinction in India.
VMxlQ TIL that the Tony Awards are named after an actress, Antoinette Perry.
4X1mX TIL a parasitic amoeba called Naegleria fowleri. Once this amoeba enters the sinuses, it makes its way to the brain and causes a fatal infection
epK6E TIL the word 'genericisation', when a brand name and the product have become so common and popular that it instead comes to represent the entire product category. E.g. Hoover, Bacardi, Tannoy