Saburō Sakai is perhaps one of the most famous Japanese air aces to emerge from WWII, credited with at least 28 aerial victories and shooting down or severely damaging well over 60 Allied aircraft, despite later in the war flying a plane that was vastly inferior to his opponents’ planes. Saburō Sakai was born one of seven children in a poor farming […]
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This Day In History: April 21, 1930 On April 21, 1930, a fire at the Ohio State Penitentiary killed 320 inmates, many who died trapped in their cells, unable to escape the flames. Those that didn’t burn to death perished from smoke inhalation and breathing poisonous fumes. It was the most lethal prison fire in American history. The prison itself […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn about the remarkable failure that was Pixar and how after losing over $50 million and almost being closed down numerous times, it finally struck it big making something quite different than what it had started out producing. [TRANSCRIPT] And as mentioned in the episode: The Pixar Universe Theory Don’t miss future episodes of […]
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In this video, produced by the very talented Brady Haran over at Numberphile, which you can subscribe to here, Dr. Ria Symonds and Dr. Tony Padilla discuss and put into perspective just how amazingly massive a Googol is. If you like this video, please join us in supporting Numberphile on Patreon here. Bonus Facts: In the early 20th century, the […]
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Quick Fact #917: Lyman Ward and Cindy Pickett, better known as Mr. and Mrs. Bueller on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, first met on the set of that film and subsequently got married in 1986. Like in the movie, they had two children, a boy and a girl; unfortunately, they did not name them Ferris and Jeanie, but rather Shane and […]
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This Day In History: April 20, 1999 On April 20, 1999, two teenagers clad in trenchcoats began a shooting rampage outside Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. The pair continued the carnage inside the building, killing 12 students,1 teacher and wounding at least 20 others. The two young gunmen then committed suicide. In the aftermath of the shootings, everyone searched […]
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This is a weekly wrap of our popular Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. How the Practice of Pricing Fuel with 9/10th of a Penny Got Started The practice of pricing fuel with a fraction of a penny is thought to have started around the 1930s. While we can’t be sure who was the first […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn about a rather unique scientist by the name of Geoffrey Pyke and the steady stream of decidedly “interesting” ideas and inventions he churned out over the years. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily Knowledge Podcast
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Karla R. asks: Why is a tiny bit of vanilla added to so many recipes? What does adding this substance actually do? Enhancing the flavor of the other ingredients in a sweet dish, vanilla also adds a spicy, delicate taste and packs a strong, enticing aroma. This is why, despite its expense, vanilla is wildly popular among home cooks and […]
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Alex P. asks: What’s the difference between green and black tea? Isn’t it all just tea from the same plant? Both black and green tea is harvested from an evergreen, tree-like shrub known as camellia sinensis. Most likely originating in China, the camellia sinensis is thought to have first been used to brew a medicinal elixir during the Shang Dynasty […]
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This Day In History: April 17, 1397 April 17, 1397 marked a turning point in the history of English literature and culture when Geoffrey Chaucer read from his book “The Canterbury Tales” at the court of King Richard II. He read it in English, the language of the common man, instead of the Norman French usually spoken at court. Since […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn how flies manage to land on the ceiling and how they are able to thumb their noses at gravity by walking around there. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily Knowledge Podcast
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This is a video from MinuteEarth created by Henry Reich et al. If you like TodayIFoundOut, odds are you’ll also greatly enjoy their videos. So go check them out and subscribe to their channel here. You can also join us in supporting their efforts to make more videos like this by donating via their Patreon page here. If you liked […]
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J. Emerson asks: Is it really possible to learn to speed read and if it is what are the best methods? 95% of college educated individuals read at a rate between 200-400 words per minute according to extensive research done by University of Massachusetts Amherst professor Dr. Keith Rayner. However, there exists a small, but rather vocal subset of people […]
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This Day In History: April 16, 73 C.E. On a desolate mountaintop in Judea overlooking the Red Sea, a bitter battle of nerves was about to reach its conclusion. On April 16, 73 C.E., Jewish zealots finally succumbed to the Roman siege at Masada after at least three years of resistance; but they refused to be taken alive. According to […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn just what is the Hokey Pokey all about and its evolution into one of the world’s more recognizable songs. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily Knowledge Podcast
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When it comes to nations with a long and rich history of space travel and exploration, Britain isn’t normally a country that comes to most people’s minds. However, they were the third country in the world to operate a satellite in orbit. It’s just a shame America ended up accidentally killing it just a few months later… The satellite in […]
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This Day In History: April 15, 1990 “There are many things in your heart you can never tell to another person. They are you, your private joys and sorrows, and you can never tell them. You cheapen yourself, the inside of yourself, when you tell them.” – Greta Garbo Greta Garbo, the beautiful, talented, iconic Swedish import who set the […]
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