› added 2 years ago

62

TIL The S-shaped bars on the sides of hearses are called "landau bars" and are a nod to the elongated hinges used to fold the convertible roofs of 18th-century carriages

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

mxbny TIL: Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter became a defense consultant mostly by accident while becoming an expert in missile defense systems while trying to find new music recording technology.
5YGjP TIL The Hubble Space Telescope has already required 4 servicing missions (1993, 1997, 1999, 2002). The fifth mission, that was scheduled in 2005, was canceled following the Columbia disaster (2003). Hubble's problems began when it was discovered that its optical system had a flawed mirror.
e0Y86 TIL the Pledge of Allegiance was created as part of a marketing campaign to sells flags to public schools.
GYVWG TIL Bill Haast began extracting snake venom at 15 years old. He founded the Miami Serpentarium and injected himself with venom for 60+ years. His blood was used to save 21 snakebite victims. He created a venom serum to cure polio. He was bitten over 170 times and lived to be 100.
e0Ryn TIL That in the final year of Stephen Hawkings life his signature voice was actually running on a Raspberry Pi partially using code from the Super Nintendo emulator 'Higan'