› added 1 year ago

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TIL : The Brazilian government couldn't afford to send its 69 athletes to the 1932 Los Angeles Games, so they herded them onto a ship with 50,000 sacks of Brazilian coffee, hoping to sell the beans to various ports of call on the way to California.

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via reddit.com

j6RVX TIL that Sir Edward Elgar, composer of, "Pomp and Circumstance March No.1," more commonly known as "The Graduation Song" never actually finished school himself. He only received general education until the age of fifteen. Meanwhile, most of his musical talent came from self-teaching and study.
JYpmB TIL of Rita Crundwell, who embezzled $53.7 million during her 22 year career as treasure and controller of Dixon, Illinois. She used this money to support her championship Quarter Horse breeding operation. In 2008 alone, she was able to embezzle $5.8 million off of a city budget of $8-9 million.
0wXdv TIL Air Marshall Sir David Grahame Donald fell out of his Sopwith Camel at 6000 feet as he was attempting to fly in a loop. He free fell for 2000 feet before his plane, continuing the loop, happened to cross below him. He grabbed onto the plane and landed it.
MYma TIL that in Return of the Jedi, the Ewoks spoke in high-speed Tibetan.
a8k4N TIL when a liquid is close to a surface significantly hotter than its boiling point, it produces an insulating vapor layer that keeps it hovering above the hot surface. This is called the Leidenfrost effect and visible when water drops hit a hot pan and skid around instead of boiling away instantly.