› added 3 years ago

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Today I learned that in America, a M-134 (commonly referred to as a Mini-gun, due to the small caliber relative to its weapon type) can be legally owned by a civilian. And 11 of them are. And that a traditional Gatling gun isn’t considered a machine gun so it can also be owned completely legally.

Read more atf.gov

via reddit.com

PnvE TIL the inventor of the electronic television, Philo Farnsworth, only appeared on tv twice in his life. One time he was on a gameshow and won $80 and a carton of Camel cigarettes.
d8dOB TIL in 1926 Agatha Christie went missing for 10 days prompting a massive manhunt. She was hiding in a hotel dealing with her husband divorcing her.
p84Wp TIL The celebrity holdout of the Mt. St Helens eruption, Harry Truman, refused to believe the volcano would be a threat to him. His family was futile in an attempt to bribe him away with whisky. On 05/18/80 Harry was buried under 150 ft of volcanic ash with his 16 cats.
WkQA4 TIL in 1946, a man claiming to be a detective gave a pedestrian a camera and asked her to take a picture of a suspect. The "detective" turned out to be a gangster, the "suspect" turned out to be his ex-wife, and the "camera" turned out to be a concealed shotgun firing via the shutter button.
wLPW6 TIL of the Parthian shot, an ancient military tactic where archers on horses would feign retreat and then turn their bodies while at full gallop to shoot at the pursuing enemy. It required great skill to master. Without a stirrup, the rider relied solely on pressure from his legs to guide his horse.