› added 2 weeks ago

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TIL that in 1959 the Omaha VA Hospital purchased a nuclear reactor for $154,000, it was in operation until 2001 when it was dismantled for security concerns following 9/11.

Read more department.va.gov

via reddit.com

7B8L TIL that before Heinz took over, 90% of ketchup on the market contained so many “injurious ingredients” that a bottle of it could literally kill you.
nW547 TIL that there were only 4 times a US vice president assumed temporary presidential powers as acting president, and each time was due to the president having a colonoscopy.
KYGpE TIL in 1994, Unisys, the company holding a patent on the GIF, attempted to charge licensing fees for using GIFs. This sparked a backlash in the tech community, leading to the creation of the PNG format as a free alternative. Due to the outcry, Unisys ultimately abandoned its fee plans.
NX78E TIL of wadokei - Clocks used by the Japanese until 1872, in which length of an hour changed with the seasons.
D1vnJ TIL about Navy airmen Frank O'Flaherty and Bruno Gaido. They were captured by the Japanese during the battle of Midway. Only after the end of the war was it discovered that they were interrogated on board the destroyer Mikagumo, then had weights tied to them and were pushed overboard to their deaths