› added 12 years ago

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Today I learned that the US Military’s suicide rate surpassed combat deaths in 2012

Read more npr.org

via reddit.com

WkAKo TIL: Up until 1972, tennis balls used to be black and white, and were changed to their neon color today because people had trouble seeing them on television.
VBkrk TIL that in 1957, the town of Pleasanton, Texas voted overwhelmingly to desegregate its public schools. The vote (and entirely peaceful subsequent integration of African American students) bewildered the press and gained national attention as it occurred around the same time as the Little Rock Nine.
y4Dp TIL Emerson Moser worked for 37 years for Crayola, making 1.4 billion crayons. After retiring, he revealed he was colorblind.
LQd4d TIL a survey found that 56% of commercial pilots admitted to sleeping while flying and 29% had woken up to find the other pilot asleep as well
J1rek TIL about Peter Hagendorf a German mercenary who fought during the 30 years war and kept a diary. In it he casually describes the death of several of his children, being shot and abducting women.