› added 5 years ago

81

TIL that the aviation distress call "Mayday" was created in 1923 and derives from the French "m'aidez" or "help me"

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ZWya TIL there was anti-slavery ship called the HMS Black Joke during the 1820s
nWy4W TIL that Scotland was once home to 2 feet long scorpions
9yMX TIL during the time of the devastating 2011 Joplin, MO tornado, a traveling circus was in town but couldn’t perform due to the weather. Instead, they enlisted the help of their circus elephants to remove damaged vehicles and heavy debris from the road to clear a path for first responders.
69VJY TIL: Photojournalist Richard Drew, who captured “The Falling Man” on 9/11, was also only one of four press photographers present at the assassination of JFK.
d8gx9 TIL that traditional haiku poems must contain both a kireji ("cutting word") and a kigo (seasonal reference)