Today I Learned 🎓

05 Nov 2024 14:50

TIL that in Los Angeles, in 2023 every 50h a pedestrian was killed in a car related accident. In 2021, that number was every 66h. LA is the second deadliest US city for pedestrians. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

05 Nov 2024 11:49

TIL: In the classic cartoon strip, Tintin, Tintin is always moving left to right and his opponents are moving right to left. His adventure, "Cigars of the Pharoah," had to be redrawn when it was discovered that this rule was broken. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 23:49

TIL that in 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre Museum by Vincenzo Peruggia, and it took two years to get it back. The museum initially had no idea it was missing, assuming it was out for photography. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 21:50

TIL that "American" was the official language of Illinois from 1923 to 1969. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 19:49

TIL Romans were known to create tombs for their dogs and gave them epitaphs to remember them by. One such inscription read, “I am in tears, while carrying you to your last resting place as much as I rejoiced when bringing you home with my own hands 15 years ago.” [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 18:49

TIL that there is a conspiracy theory that Avril Lavigne died in 2003 and was replaced by a body double - Melissa Vandella [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 17:49

TIL that in middle ages suicidal people feared eternal damnation that direct suicide entailed, so they would commit a capital crime over innocent child and then turn themselves in to authorities and demand capital punishment [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 16:49

TIL of John Darwin, who faked his death in 2002 to escape mounting debts. He avoided detection for five years until he returned to the UK, faking amnesia, to get a passport so he could own property in Panama. His plan collapsed when a photo of him and his wife taken years after his "death" emerged. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 15:50

TIL Anne V. Coates, Academy winning editor of Lawrence of Arabia, edited 50 Shades of Grey when she was 89 [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 15:50

TIL: North Korea has their own video game consoles. One is the Moranbong, a mix between the Wii and a Kinect. However, it is in reality a Subor G80 from China. The promotional images were also copied from Nintendo and Microsoft. The games include Contra. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 13:50

TIL Service Dog etiquette requires leaving them alone to avoid distracting their focus. If a service dog comes to you for attention, find their owner immediately, as they are trained to use this as a signal for help. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 07:49

TIL that not only has it been more than fifty years since a person last set foot on the moon, the entire period of crewed missions to the lunar surface only lasted three and a half years. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 05:49

TIL charging any additional fees for debit cards is illegal in the US. Convenience fees/cash discount price cannot be different from the debit card price. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 03:49

TIL there's a town in Upstate New York called Mexico who's founding predates the country of Mexico by about 30 years. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 01:49

TIl In 1891, when the first Thai typewriter was developed, two lesser-used consonants were left out because they did not fit on the typewriter; this contributed to their eventual obsolescence. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

05 Nov 2024 13:49

TIL that the red panda is the original and only panda as it was described in 1825. Almost 50 years later, upon discovering a similar bamboo eating black and white creature, it was named as the "giant" panda. As the giant panda become popular, the red panda has came to be known as the "lesser" panda. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

05 Nov 2024 00:49

TIL the reason why Hugh Grant was caught with a prostitute in his car was because he was repeatedly pressing the brake pedal with his foot, so his brake lights were flashing erratically, catching the attention of the police. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 22:50

TIL That English sports betting site William Hill, who offered 5000-1 odds on Leiceister City winning the English Premier League in 2015, ended up losing $3 million. Because of this, they no longer offer odds higher than 1000-1 for bets on teams winning championships. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 19:49

TIL that various animals have been awarded degrees, exposing the fraudulent activities of “degree mills.” One instance includes a cat that received an MBA and had a 3.5 GPA. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 18:49

TIL after nearly twenty years in TV & film, Star Wars was John Williams first symphonic score, ushering a new age of symphonic film scoring for films and a new popular market for film scores sold separately on media [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 17:49

TIL margarine was once marketed as a cheaper and healthier butter alternative, with US manufacturers even pushing to add yellow color to make it look more appetizing. Studies later showed margarine’s hydrogenated oils (trans fats) were worse for heart health than butter’s natural fats. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 16:49

TIL that the Hellenic Navy operates an ancient Greek trireme as an officially commissioned military ship [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 16:49

TIL that permanent daylight savings time in the US was briefly enacted by president Nixon in 1974. The new permanent DST law was reversed after one year because people didn't like it. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 15:50

TIL in 499 century BC, king Histaiaeus (ancient Greece) sent secret military messages tattooed on bald heads of messengers. After the hair regrew, they sent the messengers. In the destination they were shaved again to reveal the message. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 13:50

TIL an 1854 London cholera outbreak was curbed by a man who defied the day's medical beliefs. Dr John Snow, father of modern epidemiology, traced the outbreak to a tainted water pump. The pump handle was removed, basically ending outbreak. The theory that disease spread by "bad air" soon unraveled. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 09:49

TIL that it rained for a million years in Triassic [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 07:49

TIL it's illegal to share a picture of your ballot in some countries and US states [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 04:49

TIL that scientists at Stanford University have developed a smart toilet that reads your anus like a fingerprint and monitors the health of your poop and pee. The lead researcher said, "We know it seems weird, but as it turns out, your anal print is unique." [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 02:49

TIL: There is currently someone in jail for 50 years in Thailand for insulting the king on social media. Thailand still has Lèse-majesté laws from 1908, which is the strictest defamation law in the world. Even insulting the King's pet or attempting to insult the King leads to decades of jail. [Source]

Today I Learned 🎓

04 Nov 2024 01:49

TIL there were more than 100 reported cases of Human Sacrifice in India between 2014 and 2021. [Source]