› added 10 years ago

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TIL that the Space Shuttle couldn’t fly on new years day / eve because it couldn’t handle the year rollover

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via reddit.com

69PKQ TIL The Golden Girls was supposed to have a different theme song, Instead of Andrew Gold’s iconic “Thank You for Being a Friend,” the show’s producers wanted to use Bette Midler’s song “Friends,” However, the cost of buying the license was too expensive and they had to pass.
e06m4 TIL of Aki Ra, a former Khmer Rouge conscripted child soldier who has devoted his life to removing landmines in Cambodia and to caring for young landmine victims. Since 1992 he has personally removed and destroyed as many as 50,000 landmines, and is the founder of the Cambodian Landmine Museum.
Z8XOo TIL about "turtle glass". Some states have laws that require coastal homeowners to turn off lights and draw curtains after 9pm because baby turtles migrate out to sea by moonlight and sometimes they get confused by lights and swim inland. Turtle glass is special window that doesn't reflect moonlight
bal7 TIL that Jimmy Carter saw a UFO in 1969. He was so impacted by it that he promised to disclose every piece of information about UFO sightings if he became president. However, after being elected, he distanced himself from disclosure, citing “defense implications”.
N7rOJ TIL that bowhead whales are the longest-living mammals, able to live to around 200 years due to genes that allow for the repair of DNA. However, many of them do not live to old age as they are a common target for whaling.