In 1970, a pilot engaging in mock combat in an F-106 lost control in a dive, ejected, and then the plane righted itself, continued to fly, landed softly in a snowy field, then was later recovered with minimal damage and returned to service.
Gilbert Seltzer, a WW2 veteran…
Gilbert Seltzer, a WW2 veteran, lead a secret platoon of men within a unit dubbed the ‘Ghost Army’. Made up of artists, creatives & engineers, their job was creating deception about the enemy. From inflatable tanks to scripted bar conversations, this unit’s work led to big US wins.
In medieval times, all fruit…
In medieval times, all fruit and vegetables were cooked as it was believed that raw fruit and vegetables caused disease. One book from 1500 even warns: “Beware of green salads and raw fruits, for they will make your master sick”.
The Italian Mafia is involved…
The Italian Mafia is involved in nuclear waste trafficking: they have bought nuclear power plant waste and dumped it in Somalia. The Camorrah in Naples do this too. Except they dump it in Naples.
In 1974, Time magazine researchers learned…
In 1974, Time magazine researchers learned, and informed Jack Nicholson (30 at that time), that his sister was actually his mother, and his mother was his grandmother.
During the Beijing Olympics…
During the Beijing Olympics, a 9-year-old girl who sang a patriotic song at the opening ceremony, was revealed to be a fake lip-syncing. The real singer was a 7-year-old girl who was kept backstage, because she was considered not good looking enough and that might’ve damaged China’s image.
A woman code named “SM” suffers from…
A woman code named “SM” suffers from Urbach-Wieth disease – a condition where the person cannot feel fear. Her identity is guarded for her safety by researchers who are studying her and only 400 people on the planet are known to have this condition.
Remains of a human-sized penguin…
Remains of a human-sized penguin have been discovered in New Zealand. The penguin was more than 5 feet tall and weighed more than 170 pounds.
The practice of playing music…
The practice of playing music for callers on hold began with a faulty phone line connection. A loose wire touching the steel frame of an office building caused it to act as a giant radio receiver, allowing callers to hear music from local radio stations while they waited on hold.
In 1954, Soviet rocket engineer Sergei…
In 1954, Soviet rocket engineer Sergei Korolev could not get funding to pursue a space program, so he planted a fake new-story claiming Russia was going to launch a satellite. The US responded that they were also going to launch one, so the Soviets then agreed to fund the program.