› added 9 years ago

77

TIL that in the ancient Chinese game of Go, putting someone in check is called “Atari”

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MBvb TIL in 2007, four AH-64 Apache helicopters were destroyed by mortar fire in Iraq because US soldiers took pictures of them landing at their base, and posted the pictures to the Internet. The pictures were geotagged, allowing insurgents to determine the exact location of the Apaches.
dyP9 TIL that the first group of people to fly the Jolly Rodgers (Flags that indicate a Pirates Ship) was the Knights Templar, who first flew the black flags in the 13th century.
LZ7d TIL that during the search and rescue operations for the September 11th attacks, it was becoming rarer and rarer for rescue dogs to find anyone, leading them to feel failed, so firefighters hid in the rubble for the dogs to find them.
VMn4Q TIL that James Michael Tyler only got the role of Gunther the barista in 'Friends' because he was the only extra who actually knew how to use a cappuccino machine. He would go on to portray the character in 144 of the show's 238 episodes, and he still receives residuals from his work on the show.
0yE5 TIL In Rwanda plastic bags are illegal and carry with them a 100-$150 fine. In fact, at airport customs all plastic bags are confiscated which has resulted in Rwanda being one of the most litter free countries in Africa