› added 11 years ago

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TIL John Aaron, a NASA flight controller, not only saved Apollo 12 after it was struck by lightning, but also saved the Apollo 13 crew by developing a unique power up sequence to allow a safe reentry.

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VZKD TIL In 1974, Stephen King checked in as the only guest in the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO before it shut down for the winter. He dreamed that night of his three-year old son being chased through the long, empty corridors. He woke up and had the inspiration for The Shining.
X0ERP TIL King William II organized a hunting trip and was presented with six arrows; taking four for himself, he handed the other two to Tirel, saying, "Bon archer, bonnes fleches". It was the last time that William was seen alive.
ep0y4 TIL sea otters were extinct in Washington State between 1910 and 1965. The current population originally came from Alaska and they were evacuated from areas where the US was testing nuclear bombs between 1965 and 1972
Bganx TIL that according to The Rules of Oléron, circa 1266, Article XXIII, an harbour pilot was liable to lose his head by the captain of the ship, without penalty, should he run the captain's ship aground.
N7p4M TIL that pencils are yellow because in the 19th century, the best graphite came from China. Because yellow was a royal colour in China, pencil companies began to colour their pencils yellow to show both high quality and an association with China.