› added 10 years ago

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TIL that the hook on the end of a tape measure is intentionally loose. The distance it moves is equal to the thickness of the hook, to take into account the difference between hooking the end over an edge and pressing it against an object.

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kO5ye TIL that during a 2011 census for the Czech Republic, 11,000 people listed their religion as "Knights of the Jedi"
6E5xm TIL in 1954 Israel tried to create a false flag attack in Egypt by planting bombs in Egyptian, American, and British civilian targets. Muslims were to be blamed in order to convince British troops to stay in the Suez canal. Israel denied any involvement before awarding the agents 51 years later.
nWnpW TIL that whale carcasses sequester a huge amount of carbon in the ocean
6E8Lm TIL Army vet Gregory Holeman needed a ride to the hospital, but his care via the Veteran's Admin. didn't cover a 911 ambulance. He asked his sister to call a social worker but she misdialed and Jimmy John's answered; so JJ delivery driver Zack Hillmer (a U.S. Navy vet) drove him to the hospital.
jNm9Q TIL Ken Kutaragi, the Father of the PlayStation, was nearly sacked by Sony because he was working with Nintendo on the side without Sony’s knowledge. Sony eventually kept him which led to the launch of one of the world’s best selling product series of all time.