› added 5 years ago

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TIL: Because of a rumor claiming that Richard Hatch smuggled matches onto an island, all contestants on tv's Survivor now have to be strip searched

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y1ka TIL George Washington had a massive chain strung across the Hudson River in order to keep to British from sailing upriver. Each link weighed 100+ pounds.
lom05 TIL that Helmut Kentler, a German psychologist fostered neglected children with pedophiles in an experiment with government support for decades. By the time his victims came forward, the statute of limitations for his actions had expired leaving his victims without justice or compensation.
690pm TIL while on safari, Hemingway survived 2 plane crashes one day apart. The 2nd caught fire & he had to smash open the door with his head, causing extensive burns & skeletal injuries. He was presumed dead until he walked out of the jungle "in high spirits", carrying bananas and a bottle of gin.
LQBY0 TIL that long after World War II ended, Teruo Nakamura of the Japanese imperial army was one of the last soldiers to finally surrender after holding out until 1974. 30 years after the war ended.
OjWY TIL At the 2002 winter Olympics, an Australian went from last place to winning the gold medal in speed skating after every other skater crashed on the last corner.