draconianRegiment
draconianRegiment t1_jb2q789 wrote
Reply to TIL that the Convair Model 118, a tentative flying car from 1947, was shelved because its prototype crashed when a test pilot mixed up the flight engine's fuel gauge with the road engine's and didn't see the former run out. While he survived, this killed interest in the project. by ShabtaiBenOron
What a terrible excuse to not have flying cars.
draconianRegiment t1_jd9rvgf wrote
Reply to TIL of the Pig War, a border dispute between the US and the UK, around Vancouver Island (present-day Canada) and Washington State. The only casualty was a pig, owned by an Irish farmer, which was shot by an American farmer for eating his potatoes. Both countries deployed military troops. by drak0bsidian
There's an oversimplified video or two about this on YouTube.