› added 12 years ago

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TIL Thomas Silverstein holds the world record for being isolated from the rest of the world. He has been in solitary confinement since 1983 and is still going.

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JYY8k TIL that British Airways' only fatal accident was a mid-air collision caused by air traffic control error. The controller saw the problem and alerted one plane to stop climbing but this attempt to avert catastrophe turned what would have been a near miss into the collision he was trying to prevent
4L6b TIL that at the height of WWII, Oak Ridge, TN used 20% more electricity than NYC
1lxV TIL ExxonMobile, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips are descendant companies of John D. Rockefeller’s oil empire Standard Oil. Rockefeller was worth $237 billion.
MevYA TIL The USPS used to burn letters sent to "Santa". Now nonprofit organizations respond to children's letters on behalf of Santa
g8Rb TIL There is a waterfall in a park in New York which curtains an ‘eternal flame’ - a natural gas leak which visitors keep lit all year round