› added 10 years ago

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TIL that in a secret 1960 operation, the CIA stole the Russian satellite Lunik overnight completely disassembling, examining, and reassembling it within 12 hours, and returned it in the morning without the Russians knowing - possibly changing the outcome of the space race.

Read more cia.gov

via reddit.com

Zoxv TIL the volleyball “character” of Wilson in Cast Away was created by the film’s screenwriter after he deliberately stranded himself on an isolated beach for a week and a volleyball washed ashore. This was the inspiration for the film’s inanimate companion.
6E7bQ TIL About the legend of “Bob”, a newfoundland terrier from the nineteenth century who was found shipwrecked off the coast of England. He became known in London for saving people from drowning; 23 rescues in 14 years. In thanks, he became an honorary member of the Royal Humane Society.
oRR88 TIL on 2016, Murray Pringle managed to obtain the Pringle baronetcy over cousin Simon after DNA testing proved Simon's grandfather wasn't the biological son of Sir Norman Pringle, 8th Baronet but was utterly unrelated to the clan
9wy47 TIL Geysers are quite rare, requiring a combination of water, heat, and fortuitous plumbing. Yellowstone National Park is home to half of all the geysers found in the world.
6aZX TIL: The expression ‘mad as a hatter’ is based from the real-life behavior of hatters from the 17th century. It wasn’t until 1941 that hatters discovered that the mercury they used to make hats was poisoning them and making them insane.