› added 8 months ago

24

TIL that due to an error at the 1932 Summer Olympics, the 3,000 meter steeplechase went on for 460 meters (1 lap) longer than intended.

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9DwG TIL Cheddar cheese that has been ripened for six months is considered “mild.” Seven months to a year of ripening makes “sharp” cheddar, and two years worth of aging yields an “extra sharp” product.
R7XOQ TIL: sleeve Chevrons used in military rank insignias typically point down in the US Navy & US Air force & Commonwealth countries. In the US Army & US Marine Corps Chevrons point up.
YgDd TIL the term “meh” as an indifferent response gained popularity in the modern lexicon after its use on “The Simpsons.”
YplWA TIL that the common ancestor of all fish had lungs, and that modern swim bladders in most fish are actually highly-derived lungs. In more oxygen-poor times hundreds of millions of years ago, being able to gulp down oxygen, which was more plentiful in air, was a huge evolutionary advantage.
WkW8 TIL NASA has an Office of Planetary Protection, in case we DO find life on other planets.