› added 5 years ago

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TIL that a CIA analyst was able to figure out the locations and power consumption of the Soviet nuclear enrichment plants based on a censored cover of a magazine

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via reddit.com

jNXln TIL Union Pacific train operators once faced a real life "trolley problem" when 30 of its cars broke loose during a switching operation and headed at high speed without breaks toward downtown Los Angeles -- and decided to derail them on a side track, destroying two homes and injuring 13 people
wLYkW TIL that Edward James Jim Corbett tracked and killed 33 well-documented man-eaters, 19 tigers and 14 leopards, that combined to kill over 1,200 people. Despite the dangerous nature of the beasts he was hunting, Corbett traveled alone and by foot while hunting the cats.
wLELP TIL that Along a lonely stretch of highway in Awa-shi, Japan, a rare vending machine sells homemade meals of fresh curry over rice. The vending machine owner, Tadashi Yoshimoto, grows the rice in every meal just down the road on his own farm!
ZXVY TIL the reason many U.S army helicopters are named after native-American tribes is because the first U.S air force bases were located on native reserves.
5V9Gn TIL in 1969, concert promoter Bill Graham was asked to help organize the Woodstock Festival. He agreed under one condition: that Santana would be included in the lineup. After Bill persisted, Santana was given a 45-min set on Aug 16 for $2,500. The performance launched Santana to international fame.