› added 1 year ago

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TIL that when the US Navy attempted the first flight from the US mainland to Hawaii, one of the two seaplanes ran out of fuel and landed in the Pacific Ocean, hundreds of miles from the destination. The crew created crude sails from fabric wings, and sailed the plane to Hawaii.

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via reddit.com

R50kl TIL: There was a cricket match in 1939 between England and South Africa which lasted 12 days, it is affectionately referred to as the "Timeless Test"
p8ojb TIL many people on the US Olympic Team in 1980 are still upset about the boycott of the Olympics in Moscow
kO66E TIL about MS The World, the largest privately owned residential yacht. The 150-200 residents who live aboard make decisions about the ship's itinerary, finances, and lifestyle and are looked after by a crew of 280. Apartments cost between $2-15 million.
B5yx TIL that until the 17th century most scientists believed that the speed of light was infinite. It was only in 1676 that Ole Rømer and Giovanni Cassini made the first measurement of the velocity of light (just 27% off the real value) by observing the orbits of the moons of Jupiter.
dDaX9 TIL that the first patent for the invention of the fire hydrant was destroyed in a fire.