› added 1 month ago

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TIL that after Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle's eponymous Doolittle Raid on Japan lost all of its aircraft (although with few personnel lost), he believed he would be court-martialed; instead he was given the Medal of Honor and promoted two ranks to brigadier general.

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9YdpM TIL the scientific name for the swordfish is Xiphias gladius. Xiphias is Greek for "sword", while Gladius is Latin for "sword". It's scientific name is "Sword sword".
OG9w1 TIL in 2012, Choi Gap-bok, a Korean yoga master escaped from prison by squeezing through the food slot at the bottom of his cell door. The slot was 5.9 inches tall and 17.7 inches wide. Choi applied skin oil to his body and slipped out while three guards were sleeping.
gNgb TIL that John Carpenter offered Christopher Lee the roll of Dr. Loomis in the classic 1978 horror film Halloween. Lee declined due to the low pay, but later said that declining the role was his biggest career mistake.
ap89 TIL: It is legal in South-Africa to equip your car with flame-throwers to prevent carjacking.
NO61 TIL Hotels use RFID chips to track their towels and linens. One hotel in Hawaii saved over $15000 in stolen towels using the RFID chips