› added 11 years ago

105

TIL In 1989, CIA original operative, wrote that in the future, World War 3 would occur when “Soviet Russia” dupes the United States and Israel into waging a self-destructive war with the Muslim/Arab world.

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l7OE7 TIL that if you plant an apple seed, there’s only a 1/80,000 chance the tree it becomes will produce the same kind of apple you took it from - much less even produce apples desirable for eating.
NNLP TIL that during the attack on Pearl Harbor the USS Aylwin, with only 50% of her crew and under the command of an Ensign, made it out of the Harbor and was able to effectively engage the enemy. She remained under the command of the Ensign for over a day while she conducted combat patrols.
yQDOV TIL that the final catalyst of the Thirty Years' War was when two Catholic Counts and their secretary were thrown out of the window ("defenstrated") by the Protestant Count Thurn in Prague. They survived the 3 story (21 m) fall, and the secretary was later given the title of "Baron of Highfall"
0VJ1 TIL: In 1999 an Australian called Bill Morgan was hit by a truck and was clinically dead for 14 minutes. When he awoke he bought a scratch card and won a car worth $25,000. When asked to recreate this for the news he won the $250,000 jackpot live in air.
loAer TIL that Soviet artillery launched an attack in 1942 to silence German guns specifically so that Shostakovich's 7th Symphony could premiere in Leningrad, even though the city was under siege and the musicians were starving to death, with three dying during rehearsals