› added 4 years ago

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TIL that on 5 May 2000 two young Filipino programmers created the Iloveyou virus that attacked tens of millions of Windows personal computers causing US$5.5–8.7 billion in damages worldwide. Since there were no laws in the Phils. against writing malware at the time the two were released.

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via reddit.com

BgveW TIL Sam White, a Virginia Civil War collector, was killed in 2008 when a 140 year old high explosive cannonball he was restoring detonated in his driveway. The explosion was powerful enough to send chunks of shrapnel up to 1/4 mile away. There were 18 more cannonballs in his driveway at the time.
enmJ TIL the first webcam was deployed at Cambridge University computer lab – its sole purpose was to monitor a particular coffee maker and hence avoid wasted trips to an empty pot.
e6R5 TIL The notorious first modern day American serial killer, Ted Bundy, was once employed on a Suicide Hotline- where he saved a number of lives
D1k8r TIL about the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans. Duncan Hamilton and Tony Rolt were denied from participating. They then decided to start drinking. When they were reinstated, they drove drunk, broke the average speed record and won the race!
PYPkV TIL that in 2009 identical twins Hassan and Abbas O. were suspects in a $6.8 million jewelry heist. DNA matching the twins was found but they had to be released citing "we can deduce that at least one of the brothers took part in the crime, but it has not been possible to determine which one."