› added 5 years ago

48

TIL that after almost 20 years of battling for a Hubble budget and creating the telescope, and after finally putting it into orbit, the first images NASA received were blurry because the mirror curvature was off by 2.2 thousandth of a millimeter.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

KYYa6 TIL the song 'Mac Arthur Park' was written with its odd time signatures and lyrics by Jimmy Webb, at the request of a record producer. It was rejected, but later recorded by the actor Richard Harris and unexpectedly became a hit.
X0wLP TIL That older washing machines have a heavy concrete block inside them to balance out the movements caused by the powerful rotating engine
Z4bo TIL Denmark has a fat tax on butter, milk, cheese, pizza, meat, oil and processed food containing more than 2.3% saturated fat. The tax resulted in an additional $216 million in revenue.
8gVG TIL An 11 year old boy, dying from brain cancer, told his mother he wanted her to donate his organs so that he could save the lives of other children. He reportedly told her “I have seen many people doing good deeds and I think they are great. I want to be a great child too.”
KYwma TIL in 1989 Youppi!, Montreal Expos Mascot, became the first, and only, mascot to ever be thrown out of a Major League game.