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TIL that the Soviet Union built their own Space Shuttle in secret. In November of 1988, they revealed and launched The Buran for it’s one and only flight successfully. Unlike the US Space Shuttles, this space craft was fully autonomous, had ejection seats, and was able to carry 30 tons.

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via reddit.com

VZpp TIL that comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collided with Jupiter in 1994, after being broken apart from Jupiter’s tidal gravity. One fragment struck the planet’s surface with the estimated energy of 6 million megatons of TNT (600 times the world’s nuclear arsenal) and created a dark spot over 12,000 km across.
4kDvX TIL in 1780 James Jackson (well known as a duelist with a fiery temper) killed Georgia governor George Wells in a duel. In 1788, he was elected governor but declined it, citing his inexperience. Instead he served as a congressman & senator before being elected the 23rd governor of Georgia in 1797.
OEG7 TIL that the number of people living in the USA that are illiterate is almost equal to the entire population of Canada (32,000,000 vs 35,000,000)
6ewJ TIL the pitch drop experiment is the world’s longest continuously running laboratory experiment. It measures the flow of a piece of pitch by counting the drops that fall from a funnel. Since 1927 8 drops have fallen. The ninth drop is expected to fall in 2013.
jvon TIL during the California Gold Rush, the distinct lack of women in San Fransisco caused gay culture to flourish. Men would often pay for “female impersonators” to be prostitutes.