› added 10 years ago

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TIL of the Skeleton Coast of Namibia, aka “The Gates of Hell”, a place so inhospitable that when the MV Dunedin went aground in 1942, passengers were only rescued after another ship ran aground, a big aircraft was damaged on landing, was repaired and crashed again, and several army trucks were lost.

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jNjKE TIL Draco was the first legislator in Ancient Greece. He replaced the system of oral law and blood-feud with written codes to be enforced by courts. Citizens were unaware of the harshness of his laws, giving rise to the term Draconian.
dDyk8 TIL that NASA's Gemini 7 space mission lasted for 14 days. After rendezvousing with Gemini 6 on the 11th day, the two astronauts had nothing to do other than read books in the very cramped cockpit. Frank Borman, the commander, said that the last three days were "bad".
rRN6w TIL There is a banana ripening facility in The Bronx, NY
oBN67 TIL the origin of the phrase “hold a candle to”. When a craftsman and their apprentice would work in the dark, and the apprentice would hold a candle so the master could see. Telling someone they can’t even hold a candle for you, let alone do the complicated job you’re doing, is insulting.
oWOY TIL in the 1860’s, a “perpetual motion” machine was demonstrated at the Paris Exposition. Visitors were invited to try and stop the wheel, which, unbeknownst to them, was the very action needed to “charge” the wheel back up.