› added 4 years ago

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TIL "Seven Days to the River Rhine", a USSR battle plan forged at 1979, which planned to carpet bombing western Europe with nukes so the forces Warsaw Pact could push to Rhine river within a week.

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YpArx TIL: The game Chinese checkers was created in Germany
l7EQG TIL in 1915, the USS Eastland cruise ship was retrofitted with additional lifeboats due to new regulations following The Titanic disaster. The additional top-heavy weight caused it to sink before it left port, killing 844 passengers.
BrlEx TIL of Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan, who in 1938 flew across the Atlantic in an experimental aircraft. Despite the Air Traffic Controller deeming it a suicide flight, and a fuel leak, he successfully completed the trip. He claimed to have lost his way in the clouds and lost his license for 2 weeks.
0dbgA TIL Mean Girls was based on self-help book aimed at parents of teenage girls
oBe7E TIL that Sam Houston, the general who led Texas to victory in its war for independence from Mexico & who served as its president during its 10 years of independence, was removed from office as Governor of Texas when it seceded in 1861, after refusing to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy.