› added 11 years ago

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TIL that Israel has what’s known as the ‘Samson Option’ – A nuclear strike against every nation on Earth if they feel their existence is threatened.

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EB8o TIL that in 1953, Swanson overestimated the number of Turkeys it would sell by 26 tons. They decided to cook it, slice it, and sell it individually. This is known as the first ever TV dinner to be sold.
wLNMo TIL the James Webb Space Telescope has gold-plating on its mirrors because the mirrors are made of poorly-reflective beryllium able to withstand cold.
5YMBD TIL the Italian container ship “Grande America”, carrying 2,000+ cars, sank after a fire broke out along with 4 Porsche 911 GT2 RS's, their fastest production model limited to 1,000 units. All 27 crew members were able to evacuate and Porsche restarted production to make 4 more to fill the orders
yQnOV TIL that the island of Malta was awarded the George Cross by King George the 6th during WW2 for the people of Malta displaying heroism and devotion during a siege on the island by the Axis powers. The medal to this day is incorporated in Malta's national flag.
78krp TIL Olbers's paradox: for centuries there was no widely-accepted explanation for why the night sky is dark (if the universe is infinite, eternal, and/or static, the night sky shouldn't be dark)