› added 11 months ago

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TIL that long before the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns around the world, Mexico had a 5 day nationwide lockdown in 2009 (with nearly identical rules to those seen during the Covid lockdowns) for the H1N1 swine flu pandemic.

Read more theguardian.com

via reddit.com

Oxae TIL Big Bird was supposed to be launched into space to encourage kid’s interest in space/NASA. Instead they went with a teacher named Christa McAuliffe, who unfortunately died when the Challenger Space Shuttle exploded during take off.
mxrpx TIL that "Airplane" was judged "culturally, historically, or aesthetically" significant and added to the National Film Registry in 2010
d8X9E TIL of Dr. Mary Walker, the only woman ever to receive the Medal of Honor (and, then have it taken away, and then given back...)
9YxA6 TIL James Howard. WW2 P-51 Mustang fighter pilot who defended his bombers, alone, against 30 Luftwaffe planes, even diving on them when he'd run out of ammunition, until they were driven away.
Wrg8 TIL Costa Rica is the only Latin American country to ban hunting for sport