› added 2 months ago

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TIL that France's second-largest airport, Nice Côte d'Azur, had to close a runway for 5 hours due to a snail invasion. Heavy rains drove hundreds of thousands of snails onto the tarmac, covering it in slime and forcing a massive cleanup operation.

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via reddit.com

W7V4d TIL that between March 1910 and September 1911 a pressurized oil well explosion formed the Lakeview Gusher, releasing 9 million barrels of crude oil and flooding the area in rivers of oil. It's a "miracle" that the oil field had not caught fire and the event remains the worst oil spill in history.
9w5Xr TIL The Brandtaucher, a precursor to the German U-boat built in 1851, sank 60 feet to the bottom of Kiel harbor following equipment failure during a test dive. The three occupants were able to escape afterwards by letting water in, thus increasing the air pressure and allowing the hatch to open.
Ej0o TIL hand grenades got their name from the French word for pomegranate
W7Q99 TIL Tyler Perry provided security and housing to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle when they moved to California. They made him their daughter's Godfather.
Y7Kmx TIL the first streaming service was created in 1881. Théâtrophone let subscribers listen to opera and theater over their telephone lines.