› added 1 year ago

67

TIL NJ landmark Lucy the Elephant was used by offshore bootleggers as a signal light.

Read more historynaked.com

via reddit.com

wLlRJ TIL Howard Foote Jr's took an A-4 Skyhawk for a joyride, his safety attributed to experience, skill, and ~100 hours on a flight simulator. Charges brought against him included hazarding a vessel. After 4.5 months in the brig, he got off with just time served and an other-than-honorable discharge.
Wk599 TIL that common vegetables from the Nightshade family such as tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant actually contain nicotine.
KOBD9 TIL of "fruit walls". Used before greenhouses, fruit walls stored the heat from the sun and released it at night which created a microclimate that could increase the surrounding temperature by more than 10°C (18°F).
DQOQj TIL that the corpse of William the Conqueror was so bloated that it wouldn't fit into the tomb during his funeral, exploding when forced into place and spreading a disgusting odour throughout the church.
ddvB TIL that the New York City Subway still operates several train cars constructed in 1964 in regular service. This specific model owes its longevity to its superior durability, craftsmanship and structural quality. Retired cars from this model are shipped out to the Atlantic Ocean for artificial reefs