› added 12 years ago

83

TIL that besides the USA only 1 other nation has ever built a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, France.

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aXy9 TIL that Lord Collingwood, Nelson’s second in command at the Battle of Trafalgar, would carry a pocket full of acorns on walks in the countryside, planting them as he went so the ‘Navy would never want for oaks to build the fighting ships upon which the country’s safety depended.’
rNmWd TIL the oyster mushroom is carnivorous and preys on nematode worms to supplement its nitrogen intake. It can paralyze nematodes within a few minutes of contact, and then sucks their innards out through their mouths
R78y7 TIL that the multi-awarded movie "Dallas Buyer's Club"'s budget was so low they only had $250 set aside for makeup. The film's artists , Adruitha Lee and Robin Mathews, were able to work with that, and the film's Makeup and Hair styling won an Oscar.
jND1E TIL of Victor Prather, a NASA pilot who successfully tested a new space suit in a low-orbit flight in 1961. Prather opened his suit’s faceplate when he could breathe again on descent, and landed in the ocean as planned; however, his suit’s buoyancy was ruined by his open faceplate, and he drowned.
LVdm TIL that before making “Team America,” Trey Parker and Matt Stone intended to make a shot-for-shot puppet parody of “The Day After Tomorrow.”