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TIL The first American in space, Alan Shepard, said “Don’t fuck up, Shepard” before launch. This is now known among aviators as Shepard’s prayer

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l5ja TIL there is only one unsolved airline hijacking case in the history of the U.S. The hijacker parachuted out of the plane after receiving his demands, and was described as “thoughtful and polite” by his hostage.
yVArw TIL one of george straits most popular songs, "armarillo by morning" wasn't an origional song, first being written and preformed by elvis sound-alike terry stafford
gMX57 TIL That Snoop Dogg tried to rent out the entire country of Lichenstein for a music video, but was rejected
m1ZOM TIL: Since whales can use echolocation to see under the skin, males of some species of whales have evolved internal "antlers" to impress the lady whales.
9Y7GG TIL that acacias, the trees whose leaves are eaten by giraffes, release an airborne chemical called ethylene. Ethylene alerts nearby acacia trees to produce tannin, a toxin that makes the leaves poisonous, and lethal if over-consumed. Giraffes try avoiding this by eating trees downwind from another.