› added 4 years ago

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TIL that a U-2 spy plane lands via a "controlled crash" every time because its massive wingspan makes it difficult to maneuver and there are no wheels on the sides (only front and back). When the plane finally tips to one side, the titanium skid pads under the wings help bring it to a stop.

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G06G TIL the FIFA World Cup trophy is worth nearly $20 million, far more than any other pro-sports trophy. It is made of 6kg (13.5lb) of solid 18k gold. Winning teams are only given a gold-plated replica, the original stays in Zurich.
wLdZW TIL Singer Chubby Checker, famous for the song “The Twist”, sued Hewlett-Packard over an app designed to measure penis size called “Chubby Checker”
gp94 TIL There is an Electric Eel at the Tennessee Aquarium that is hooked up to a computer which sends Tweets from its account every time the Eel’s discharge reaches the electricity threshold. Most of Miguel Wattson’s tweets are onomatopoetic sounds related to electricity.
Z0ao TIL to open the vaults at the Bank of England you need a key which is 3 feet long
60aW TIL that his mother was the only person that Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin was afraid of.