› added 9 years ago

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TIL earthquakes can permanently alter the length of a day. The 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan accelerated Earth’s spin, shortening the length of a 24-hour day by 1.8 microseconds.

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Ve7Z TIL during New Zealand’s first rugby match vs England, an English player’s shorts got ripped off. The NZ players formed a circle so he could change. Another Englishman picked up the ball and scored. Later the English demanded an apology after NZ criticised the referee, which was “unsportsmanlike”.
9YwEm TIL that unlike much of its competition, Family Video owns the real estate housing their stores, helping them to avoid unsuccessful lease negotiations that led to the demise of Blockbuster and Movie Gallery, which includes Hollywood Video. Family Video is now the largest rental chain in the U.S.
dD5Gj TIL about Harry Washington, a slave owned by George Washington who escaped to fight for the British during the Revolutionary War, fled to Canada after the war, and eventually joined a rebellion against the British in Sierra Leone
XEy56 TIL all US military rations come with a packet of Tabasco sauce, which was introduced by CEO Walter Mcilhenny, a former general in the military during WWII
y90w TIL that if you are INVOLUNTARILY bumped off your flight, U.S. airlines are required to give you cash or a check of the one-way fare to your destination equal to 200% of that amount if you arrive 1 to 2 hours late on next flight. More than 2 hours gets you 400%.