› added 7 years ago

110

TIL the distinct smell after it rains is called petrichor and it is caused by bacteria called actinomycetes.

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66KZ TIL That it’s theoretically possible to build an airship using a vacuum instead of helium
WkJv9 TIL the US federal government has an office that receives dead eagles, which are then used by Native Americans for religious purposes.
dDYkB TIL that in the 1980s Alyssa Milano befriended Ryan White(A Boy Ostracized For Having Aids) who was a fan of her works.She went on to appear on The Phil Donahue Show alongside Milano to kiss him on the cheek to show that she could not contract the disease.
va5x TIL that the Mazda 787B is the only car with a rotary engine (Wankel) to win the 24 hours of Le Mans. Its 2.6l wankel engine generated 700bhp. The engine performed so well that after winning the race it was banned
lonN5 TIL that the fastest airspeed record is held by the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, a plane designed in the 60's. The record speed, however, is NOT the Blackbird's maximum speed which is still classified.