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98

TIL that the earliest attempts at destroying U-Boats by the British involved men in rowboats or picket boats putting burlap bags over periscopes or hitting them with hammers, rendering the sub blind. 16 U-Boats were disabled using this method.

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PYn5w TIL that beneath the city of Tokyo lies an ingenious water diversion system to minimize flooding in the city during typhoons. This world’s largest water channeling infrastructure can divert 200 tons of storm water per second into the Edo River.
YpmKZ TIL A boy dying of an incurable illness wanted to meet Luke Skywalker (in character). His mental state devolved to the point where he did not realise Luke was fictional. Mark Hamill agreed to dress up in character and meet the boy. He spent hours answering questions.
0ERj TIL two British students tried to kidnap Prime Minister Alec Douglas-Home in 1964; when he answered the door, he convinced them not to kidnap him by saying “I suppose you realize if you do, the Conservatives will win the election by 200 or 300”
yWNw TIL that any North Koreans that escape to South Korea are automatically granted citizenship upon arrival
ExgV TIL walking through doorways causes you to forget more information because it creates an ‘event boundary’ in each room.