› added 10 years ago

101

TIL that for decades, the German Army issued a handheld single shot disposable flamethrower. The 16 inch long “Handflammpatrone” weighs only 1.4lbs(620g), yet it has a range of 90 meters…and can burn a surprisingly large area.

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KOm1G TIL about Henry Savery, a convict and Australia's first novelist. He was to be executed on April 22nd, 1825 in his native England for credit fraud amounting to £30K ( £2.3 million pounds today) Through influential friends this was commuted to transportation, only a day before his execution was due.
WkgV4 TIL an alternative interpretation of the myth of Narcissus is that he sat gazing into the spring to console himself for the death of his beloved twin sister, his exact counterpart, by recalling her features in the reflection.
nA4G TIL the reason that a donkey represents democrats is that Andrew Jackson’s opponents called him a jackass, so he embraced it and used the strong-willed animal on his campaign posters.
R5ora TIL that when the Americans liberated Kiska Island from the Japanese during WWII Admiral King told the Secretary of the Navy that Japanese dogs could brew coffee
Xw78 TIL that in 2001 Kim Jong Il’s eldest son was caught using a fake Dominican passport to enter Japan. When asked for an explanation, he said he “just wanted to visit Disneyland.” He was subsequently disowned by his father.