› added 1 month ago

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TIL that the term hunky-dory was coined by Japanese Tommy, one of only a few black performers allowed on white stages before the civil war.

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RL98 TIL the blobfish – a fish repeatedly described as the world’s ugliest animal – actually becomes a pretty good-looking fish when submerged to 4,000 feet.
pjAe TIL in 1963, at the height of the Cold War, the US military launched a ring of 480million needles into orbit around the earth. It was hoped they would more reliably bounce radio signals back to earth in case the Soviets cut through undersea cables. Multiple clumps of these needles are still up there
xVD90 TIL That Lincoln was almost assassinated 9 months before he was assassinated. While riding back to the Soliders' Home, a rifle fired hitting his hat. His horse was startled and ran "break-neck speed" as the President described it. Lincoln dismissed it as a hunting accident.
X0B46 TIL about Rhythms Del Mundo, a mid-2000s environmental awareness project that mixes English pop and rock vocals with the backing of the Cuban ensemble Buena Vista Social Club. Acts include the likes of Coldplay and Arctic Monkeys.
nWV0d TIL pilot callsigns are assigned to you by your "buddies", inspired from something stupid you did/say, your name, or your physical appearance. e.g. "Rat" for someone short and ugly; "Alphabet" if your name is too long; "Caveman" if you enjoyed survival training too much.