› added 9 years ago

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TIL that in 1902 Traian Vuia, a Romanian Engineer, designed his first flying machine, then presented his plan to the Académie des Sciences in Paris in 1903, but was rejected with the comment: “The problem of flight with a machine which weighs more than air can not be solved and it is only a dream.”

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eVk5 TIL that Coca-Cola was sued over Vitaminwater being advertised as a “healthy alternative” to soda despite having 33g of sugar. Coca-Cola dismissed the suit claiming that “no consumer could reasonably be misled into thinking Vitaminwater was a healthy beverage”.
X051Q TIL Neil Armstrong thought they had a 90 percent chance of getting back to Earth but only a 50-50 chance of making a successful moon landing on the first attempt. There were too many unknowns in descending from lunar orbit down to the surface that hadn't been demonstrated by testing
k9Dd TIL That Ben Franklin’s quote “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety,” was actually about the legislature’s right to tax the citizenry to pay for, among other things, security measures.
5YZr8 TIL of Alfred Nourney, a German man and social climber who purchased an expensive wardrobe and booked a 1st class ticket on Titanic pretending to be “Baron Alfred von Drachstedt.” Because of the sinking, his ruse was revealed and is what he is best remembered for.
8DAL TIL Paul Shaffer, David Letterman’s band leader, co-wrote “It’s Raining Men”.