› added 12 years ago

98

TIL that in Ancient Rome, if people wished to commit suicide, they applied to the Senate and, if their petitions were approved, were given free hemlock.

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via reddit.com

QJjy9 TIL that the Boeing 737 had rudder issues during the 90s. There were three incidents(Two fatal). These problems caused 157 people to lose their lives. This was the longest FAA investigation in history.
0dmx1 TIL the UK engaged in reparations for slavery, but only for slave owning families. The British tax payers finally paid off the debt from this in 2015.
nyXr TIL in some of the earliest displays of Stunt Flying, a pilot named Eugène Lefebvre would fly directly at terrified spectators, turning away only at the last second. He is also the first person to die while piloting a powered aircraft.
xVwKo TIL about "hypermiling", where drivers double the range of a Tesla by using one motor, no A/C, and no brakes. In 2017 an Italian driver drove a Model S for 670mi (1080km) on a single charge.
b9Owj TIL that the infamous Kitty Genovese case that's often cited as an example of the bystander effect has been wildly exaggerated. The residents that heard her actually did call the police and a seventy year old woman went out to help her. Kitty Genovese died on her way to the hospital.