› added 7 years ago

69

TIL a Soviet Special Forces Commander who ordered the execution of all Afghan witnesses to a coup was killed because he was wearing an Afghan uniform.

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Rdew TIL that in Norway you can’t change your surname to one held by less than 200 people unless you get permission from each and every one of them
78ldO TIL that from the beginning of the Cold War to 1978, the US Army created a fictionalised opposing force known as the Aggressor Republic to train against in war games. The fictional Mediterranean nation was detailed enough that it had its own backstory and unique forces structure [PDF warning]
gMLr4 TIL, it takes a photon up to 100,000 years to travel to the surface of the sun but only 8 minutes for it to then reach the earth.
OXv6 TIL that Blockbuster had the chance to buy Netflix for 50 million in 2000 but turned it down to go into business with Enron
xVRb TIL the world’s strongest beer is 60%ABV. It was made by a Dutch brewer who claimed that he was forced into making it as he was trying to keep up with the Scots