› added 7 months ago

18

TIL that "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash was largely inspired by a song called "Crescent City Blues" by Gordon Jenkins. However, Jenkins never heard of the song it became a smash hit after Cash re-released it 13 years later. Jenkins, afterwards, filed a lawsuit and settled with $75,000.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

9wJj6 TIL that the US didn't have a unified intelligence agency until 1941, when Royal Navy Admiral John Godfrey, director of Naval Intelligence, met with President Roosevelt and urged its creation. Roosevelt agreed. Godfrey's assistant at the meeting was Lt. Cdr. Ian Fleming, who later wrote James Bond
D1Pej TIL Scientist grew trees in a sealed biosphere and couldn't work out why they fell over before they matured. They eventually figured out whilst they provided the perfect growing environment it was lacking wind which provides the stress to ensure the trees grew strong enough to support themselves.
Mdgb TIL Henry Ford published an anti-smoking book, circulated to youth in 1914, called The Case Against the Little White Slaver, which documented many dangers of cigarette smoking attested to by many researchers and luminaries.
Brp8L TIL the city blackbirds have shorter beaks; don’t migrate anymore; have different stress responses; start breeding much earlier in the year; and sing at a different pitch. This has evolved them into a new species.
yGnJ TIL: The US Air Force spent over $1,000,000,000 on software that was never used and is 1 of 9 programs 12 years late and $6.9 billion over budget