› added 1 year ago

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TIL that an estimated of 22% of all gold ever accounted for on the earth's surface came from a single plateau in South Africa called Witwatersrand.

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JW6v TIL in the 1970’s, General Motors designed the Chevy Vega specifically so it could be shipped pointed downwards. The fluid reservoirs were designed so fluid did not leak when the cars were tipped on end. This allowed them to ship 30 automobiles on a single rail car.
ndWB TIL the pilot of an Aeroflot Airbus A310 let his son sit at the controls during a flight in 1994. His son turned off the autopilot controls, crashing the plane, and killing all 75 on board.
167KX TIL Last invasion of UK failed when French mistook Welsh women in traditional dress for troops
ANXax TIL that because baseball player Shoeless Joe Jackson was illiterate, and his wife usually signed his name, his actual autographs are very valuable. A signed photo of himself was the highest price ever paid for a sports photo, $1.47 million.
nWkrr TIL: Kiyohime was Japanese folklore about a girl who fell in love with Anchin, a monk, he rejected her. She then got so angry while chasing him, she transformed into a dragon and melted him while he was hiding inside a bell. There are several theatrical versions in Japan dating back 1000 years.