› added 11 years ago

65

TIL that the Challenger disaster delayed the Hubble Telescope launch for years, and the Hubble had to be stored in a clean room, powered-on, at the cost of $6,000,000/mo

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Egx7x TIL that the term "millionaire" was first used in the U.S. by Thomas Jefferson in 1786. That is equivalent to approximately $30M today.
lo6dV TIL that tickling is a self defence mechanism against creeping insects like spiders and mosquitoes. Not only does light tickling not make us laugh, it draws attention to the spot where you feel it.
xla5 TIL that in 1969 General Motors Holden (Australia) produced a concept car complete with climate control, a rear facing camera and in car navigation.
D6av TIL that we get the word “orange” from the fruit, not vice versa, and that the colour was called “yellow-red” before we discovered the fruit
0NvL TIL that Janissaries would place spoons on their hats in order to symbolize “The Brotherhood of the Spoon”. It was meant to further emphasize that Janissaries would live, eat, and fight together.