› added 11 years ago

273

TIL that the United States gave asylum to Nazi war criminals for decades and then tried to cover it up until they were sued under the Freedom of Information Act.

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Z8ygQ TIL that higher levels of omega-3 in diet are associated with better sleep
jNPWp TIL the Berlin Wall was opened accidentally. After being told wrong info, a Soviet spokesman stated that border crossings would be allowed, “immediately”. Crossings were actually planned to be allowed in limited circumstances. Thousands of East Germans then ran to the border and forced it open.
nenmB TIL In 1999, NASA lost a $125 million Mars orbiter because half the project staff used imperial measurements and the other half used metric.
yQEvM TIL that singer Ella Fitzgerald's career had a late renaissance when, at an audition for Memorex Recording Tapes' advertising, was asked to break a glass using the power of her voice, and she succeeded.
r1OW TIL that before the interstate highway system was established, it took a military convoy 62 days to cross the United States from coast to coast.