› added 6 years ago

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TIL of Elizabeth Swaney, a completely average skier who managed to compete in the Olympics by cleverly manipulating the system

Read more independent.co.uk

via reddit.com

rg54 TIL that photographer Michal Huniewicz overrode his camera’s firmware to hide & not delete photos while he was in North Korea. He did this because guards & officials would take his camera from time to time & delete photos. This override allowed him to bring back these rare pictures of North Korea.
ZVbp TIL that a sheep’s wool never stops growing and it can actually roll over on its back from the weight and die of starvation
6EaDX TIL that a man sued Warner Bros after he was injured while fainting during a screening of The Exorcist. He claimed that the film contained subliminal messages that caused his fainting spell. When he lost consciousness, his face hit one of the seats, breaking his jaw. They settled out of court.
6Evjl TIL that the first anti-hacking law was passed after President Reagan saw the movie War Games and asked his staff if this could happen. A week later the response was “Mr. President, the problem is much worse than you think.”
R7ODw TIL In 1574, the Dutch city of Leiden was under siege by Spanish forces. The defenders breached dykes, flooding the low lying countryside. Naval ships reached the city on Oct 3rd, bringing bread and herring and ending the siege. Leiden still gives citizens free bread and herring every Oct 3rd.