› added 4 years ago

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TIL that free nitrogen and oxygen atoms, generated by solar energy in the upper atmosphere, recombine at night to form nitric oxide (NO) in a process that releases a photon, thereby contributing to "Nightglow".

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knDg TIL Shaquille O'Neal is a Freemason
9wZor TIL that the 90's teen rom-com "10 Things I Hate About You" is based on Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew."
R5NAQ TIL that the man commonly credited with inventing the sandwich was in charge of the Royal Navy during the American Revolution. His incompetent leadership was a factor in the American victory. It was said about him that "Seldom has any man held so many offices and accomplished so little."
E1Dxx TIL American Musician Meat Loaf has survived a serious car wreck, breaking both legs after jumping off-stage, being struck on the head with a shot during a shot-put event, the emergency landing of a jet with a faulty landing gear, severe dehydration and a heart condition.
yQBBM TIL about history's most expensive "hyphen" when a NASA programmer missed out a single hyphen whilst transcribing a mathematical formula for the guidance system which caused an entire NASA rocket launch to be aborted and the rocket destroyed.