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TIL In 1985, an F-15A launched an anti-satellite missile from a 65-degree climb at 38,100 feet, knocking out an orbiting satellite 345 miles above the Earth; the missile traveled at 11,000 mph when it hit the satellite, which was orbiting at 17,000 mph

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J19l1 TIL that after fighting off a shark while rowing solo across the Atlantic, adventurer John Fairfax wasn’t believed—so he killed another shark and dropped it off at the reporter’s office to prove his story.
R7eD1 TIL that the blood type O was originally designated as C by Karl Landsteiner who discovered three distinct blood types naming them A, B and C. Type C was later changed to O to reflect its unique property of having no antigen sites on its surface.
vdeK TIL 2 Muslim Chechen teens saved 23 people during the Norway terrorist attack by Anders Breivik. A 3rd teen died trying to help.
OoPk6 TIL the Salem witch trials were started by a group of girls age 9-20 who were told tales by a slave. The main perpetrator Elizabeth Hubbard was known for being manipulative, throwing temper tantrums, and having a wild imagination. Hubbard accused 40 people and 15 died as a result.
Wkn89 TIL in 1816 a volcanic event led to what is known as the Year Without a Summer, originating an agricultural disaster. The lack of horse food inspired Karl Drais to research new ways of horseless transportation, leading to the invention of the velocipede, a step torwards mechanized personal transport