› added 9 years ago

173

TIL you can safely land a helicopter from high altitude without engine power.

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5K6r TIL that while smiling is perceived as a positive emotion most of the time, there are many cultures that see it as a negative expression and consider it unwelcoming. Too much smiling can be viewed as a sign of shallowness or dishonesty. Japanese people may smile when they are confused or angry.
xpw0 TIL, the newly elected Pope Francis’ response to the cardinals who elected him was “may God forgive you for what you have done”.
Kavw TIL That a friendly exchange between an American and Chinese player in the 1971 World Ping-Pong Championship prompted Mao Zedong to invite the American table-tennis to China, helping re-open Sino-American relations for the first time since the cold war.
oRrVA TIL in 1915, San Diego hired a "rain maker" who used a secret mix of chemicals to "attract rain" for $10,000. It rained for most of January, destroying bridges, dams, and causing 20 deaths.
Rj4 TIL French Texans planned to use a primitive submarine to smuggle Napoleon, from exile, into America and start another Empire there.