› added 9 years ago

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TIL that in 1985 JAL flight 123, a Boeing 747 flying from Tokyo to Osaka, lost its tail mid-flight. During the 32 minute descent and then crash into the mountains, many passengers wrote goodbye notes to their loved ones on airplane drink napkins. Of the 520 passengers on board, 4 survived.

D1P1V TIL That during the Vietnam War, several companies requested packs of playing cards that contained nothing but the Ace of Spades, because they used them in psychological warfare. They believed enemy troops saw it as a symbol of death, and scattered them in the jungle. Thousands of packs were sent.
7m6r TIL of “Fritz the Cat,” a 1972 adult animated feature that was the first to ever receive an X rating and became the highest grossing independent animated feature of all time.
VVd8 TIL that in 1990 the US Ambassador to Iraq was threatened with execution if he was harbouring Americans he responded with a press conference; where he wore a noose while declaring “If the choice is to allow American citizens to be taken hostage or to be executed, I will bring my own fucking rope"
W797N TIL that for 1308 years (128 CE - 1436) the dome of the Pantheon has been the largest dome in the world. The new record was then held by the dome of Florence Cathedral for 435 years (1436 - 1871). They both still hold the record for their "category" (unreinforced solid concrete and brick and mortar)
6Vxw TIL that there is video footage of the iconic image of Kim Phuc getting napalmed