› added 7 years ago

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TIL In one day of heavy fighting during the Battle of Stalingrad, a local railway station changed hands from Soviet to German control and back again 14 times in 6 hours

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5VWNP TIL despite their rivalry, Tesla & Edison worked together. In 1884 they clashed over direct current (DC) vs. alternating current (AC). Edison promoted DC, while Tesla AC, which became the standard. Edison offered Tesla $50,000 to improve his DC generators but reneged on the deal.
arV0 TIL that a guy and his friends have a tradition of putting on full Star Wars costumes and running a timed mile in Death Valley on the hottest day of the year. They call it the “Darth Valley Challenge” and temperatures can be as high as 129°F/54°C.
G9ZG TIL that hitting the snooze button can actually negate the restorative effects of sleep and make you more tired throughout the day.
E8Lw TIL that the Netherlands voted “Swaffelen” as their word of the year in 2008. It means to repeatedly smack one’s penis against someone or something.
QNRoM TIL that in 1967 during the Vietnam War, US Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock strapped a scope to a 50-caliber machine gun, using it like a rifle. He made a number of kills with this weapon in excess of 1,000 yards, including his record for the longest confirmed kill at 2,500 yards.