› added 13 years ago

96

TIL that Top Gun was such an effective advertisement for the Navy that the Navy had recruitment booths right there in theaters.

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LkaAr TIL People used to believe that malaria was caused by bad air ("mal aria"). When Spanish Conquistadors founded a city in modern-day Argentina they unknowingly did so beyond the breeding range of mosquitoes, the disease's vector. It became the first malaria-free port, so they named it Buenos Aires.
B6xk TIL Michael Jordan returned to the NBA in 2001 and pledged to donate his salary to the relief efforts for the victims of 9/11
VBgw8 TIL John Batman was the founder of the town that became Melbourne, Australia. And originally he called it "Batmania". There's even a street named after him: Batman Ave.
rKPx TIL that Aleksander Vinter produces music under the alias of the condition he has: Savant. He is able to produce prodigious amounts of music in a short time. Born in 1987, he has produced more than 10,000 songs. To those who haven’t listened to Savant, the music he makes is utterly mind blowing.
R7pe6 TIL: Since Britain was the first country to issue prepaid postage stamps, British stamps are the only stamps that do not bear the name of the country of issue on them.