› added 2 years ago

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TIL that the infamous (Sylvia Plath) suicide technique of sticking one's head in an oven was not a hot, violent affair. Rather, ovens used to run on "town gas" that had high carbon monoxide, and putting your head in an unlit oven was a rather peaceful way to go.

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PYB8Z TIL that the chevy suburban started back in the 30s as a station wagon being fitted to commercial frames called the Suburban Caryall, it was adopted for use during WWII by the US Armed Forces. This makes the Chevy Suburban the longest running nameplate with 85+years of consistent manufacturing.
yVX4V TIL J.W Boucher, a Canadian, managed to get enlisted into the Union army during the american civil war on his 3rd attempt after he initialy got rejected as too young to serve. In 1917, at the age of 72, he lied about his age and managed to get enlisted into WW1, likely the oldest person to serve
aa9Z TIL from 1181 to 1218, the Khmer Empire was ruled by a Buddhist king whose primary goal was to alleviate the suffering of his subjects. “He suffered from the illnesses of his subjects more than from his own; the pain that affected men’s bodies was for him a spiritual pain, and thus more piercing.”
8QWK TIL Steven Spielberg was so impressed by a McDonald Ad about pee wee football that aired during the 1992 Super Bowl, he contacted the advertising executives to turn it into a full length movie. “Little Giants” was the result.
oknL TIL: When filming Jaws 2, cast members were circled by actual hammerhead sharks. Because the scene called for the actors to yell for help, the crew did not immediately realize they were in danger.