› added 11 years ago

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TIL that according to Scientology, Xenu is the dictator of the “Galactic Confederacy” who, 75 million years ago, brought humans to Earth in a DC-8 like spacecraft, stacked them around volcanoes and killed them using hydrogen bombs. The survivors of this attack formed humanity as we know it today.

4NkJ TIL - An entire village must sink their canoes when not in use, after local orangutans learned how to steal them and paddle them down the river.
DyBP TIL William Kamkwamba built a windmill from gum trees, bicycle parts, and scrap finds, to power his family’s farm. Though he didn’t know English, he learned to built the windmill from English books and diagrams. Later, he dug a well and built an irrigation system, which helped grow crops more often.
BrOYb TIL Waffle House was founded when a restaurant manager and a real-estate agent met during the purchase of a house. They became friends and went into business together. Waffle House claims to be the world's largest seller of waffles, ham, pork chops, grits, and T-bone steaks, and 2% of all US eggs.
b6J0E TIL that Starbucks incurred massive losses and failed miserably trying to expand into Australia.
P18aV TIL that the Colt Armalite AR-15 was used in Vietnam starting in 1961. Battlefield reports from US Army Special Forces lavishly praised the AR-15 and the stopping-power of the 5.56mm cartridge, pressing for wide adoption as a replacement for the M-14. The M-16 variant was then deployed in 1964.