› added 3 years ago

97

TIL That the U.S. does not and has never used the Imperial system. They switched directly from English units to the U.S. Customary System in response to it.

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oRBv8 TIL in the 1990s, the New Jersey Nets asked the NBA to change their name to the Swamp Dragons. The league spent $500,000 to protect the name. The NBA owners voted 26-1 to approve the change. The Nets were the lone no vote, who changed their mind, infuriating then commissioner David Stern.
9am6 TIL that during the Falklands War a 37km “Red Cross Box” safe zone for hospital ships hosted 4 British and 3 Argentine vessels, which often cooperated to save wounded combatants
J1AA4 TIL because chick-fil-a is not open on sunday but operates at rest stops in upstate new york, there is a bill being discussed to force all future restaurants to be open 7 days a week
wZl6 TIL during the Cold War, the C.I.A. made a pornographic video featuring a lookalike of the Indonesian President in an attempt to discredit him, including the designing of a full-face mask resembling the President
PYxVg TIL "Fan Death" is a widely-held belief in South Korea that leaving an electric fan on overnight will kill a person. Even The Korea Consumer Protection Board issued a warning that "asphyxiation from electric fans and air conditioners" was among S.Korea's five most common summer accidents or injuries