› added 6 years ago

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TIL that after Sputnik’s successful launch in 1957 and American failure to launch their own first artificial satellite into space a few weeks later, the Soviet delegate to the UN offered the US representative aid “under the Soviet program of technical assistance to backwards nations"

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gMo8D TIL the "Jesus Nut", sometime referred to as the "Jesus Pin", is the only component holding the rotors to some helicopters' body. If it were to fail during operation, the rotors would completely separate from the body, causing a rapid unplanned decent.
aXGL TIL Charlize Theron’s mother killed her alcoholic father when she was 15, after he threatened to attack them. It was ruled self-defense and no charges were faced.
gMaE8 TIL of Iqbal Masih, a 10 yo kid who was sold into bondage, escaped the shackles of bonded labour , freed over 3000 children who were trapped bonded labour and was responsible for bringing about significant losses to the carpet weaving industry profiteering off bonded labour.
b96Va TIL the R-rated film Planes Trains and Automobiles would have been rated PG if not for the scene where Steve Martin says "fucking" 18 times in one minute. Despite the rating it is the only time in the movie where the word is used.
xVOXD TIL that Darsheel Safary, the child artist of the film Taare Zameen Par, had to face a lot of opposition from his school that he would have to miss school for such a long period. Then Aamir khan actor of the film funded his studies as well as his educational expenses.