Today I Learned (TIL)

Original Title: TIL that when an illiterate lottery winner named Abraham Shakespeare (!) mysteriously vanished, amateur web sleuths lured the woman eventually convicted of Shakespeare’s murder into their true crime forum. Link to that forum thread in the comments

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TIL that when the representative from Canada signed the the Japanese Instrument of Surrender which ended the second World War, he signed in the spot assigned to France, causing the three countries... (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Bulldoginboxers on 2025-06-27 20:28:33+00:00.

Original Title: TIL that when the representative from Canada signed the the Japanese Instrument of Surrender which ended the second World War, he signed in the spot assigned to France, causing the three countries behind Canada to have to sign in the wrong spot as well

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TIL the word “hello” first appeared in writing in 1826, and was not used as a greeting until 1877, when it became the default when answering a phone call (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/gpsrx on 2025-06-27 19:14:08+00:00.

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TIL that the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, after 20 years in development, is preparing to use the world's most powerful digital camera — a 3,200-megapixel, 3-ton instrument — to capture 20 billion im... (rubinobservatory.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/WebEven620 on 2025-06-27 19:13:02+00:00.

Original Title: TIL that the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, after 20 years in development, is preparing to use the world's most powerful digital camera — a 3,200-megapixel, 3-ton instrument — to capture 20 billion images of the night sky, helping scientists map the universe and study dark matter and dark energy

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TIL 12-14% of people are thought to have borderline intellectual function, somewhere between disabled and average. (www.sciencedirect.com)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Icedcoffeenweed4life on 2025-06-27 18:04:27+00:00.

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TIL that there are multiple 3d-printers (including one for metal) on the International Space Station to reduce the need for resupply. (www.nasa.gov)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Salmonman4 on 2025-06-27 16:23:02+00:00.

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TIL of Richard Jordan, who successfully appealed three death sentences, accepted a plea deal for life without parole, and then successfully appealed that deal, which resulted in him being re-sente... (slate.com)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/KunSeii on 2025-06-27 16:09:54+00:00.

Original Title: TIL of Richard Jordan, who successfully appealed three death sentences, accepted a plea deal for life without parole, and then successfully appealed that deal, which resulted in him being re-sentenced to death.

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TIL Black Soldiers in the Continental Army and states’ militia fought in every major battle of the American Revolutionary War, and in most, if not all of the lesser actions. (www.battlefields.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/RedditIsAGranfaloon on 2025-06-27 15:53:59+00:00.

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TIL a 2024 study found that on average a single cigarette takes about 20 minutes off a person’s life. This figure nearly doubles an estimate from a 2000 study of roughly 11 minutes per cigarette a... (www.theguardian.com)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/tyrion2024 on 2025-06-27 15:23:04+00:00.

Original Title: TIL a 2024 study found that on average a single cigarette takes about 20 minutes off a person’s life. This figure nearly doubles an estimate from a 2000 study of roughly 11 minutes per cigarette and means that a typical pack of 20 cigarettes can shorten a person’s life by nearly 7 hours.

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TIL: Saudia Flight 163 safely landed after a fire broke out onboard shortly after takeoff. But despite the successful landing, all 301 passengers and crew perished. (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/AlertThinker on 2025-06-27 15:00:53+00:00.

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TIL: In 1375, Enguerrand de Coucy led 10,000 mercenaries—the Guglers—into Switzerland to claim Habsburg lands. Swiss peasants defeated them in night raids. Years later, de Coucy denied ever being ... (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/BezugssystemCH1903 on 2025-06-27 13:16:36+00:00.

Original Title: TIL: In 1375, Enguerrand de Coucy led 10,000 mercenaries—the Guglers—into Switzerland to claim Habsburg lands. Swiss peasants defeated them in night raids. Years later, de Coucy denied ever being there.

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TIL that there is a sport called underwater ice hockey, where players, positioned upside down beneath the ice sheet, play with a large floating puck that glides along its underside. (www.bbc.com)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/WoodenFrog321 on 2025-06-27 12:13:30+00:00.

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TIL that Norway, after gaining independence from Sweden in 1905, offered the throne to Prince Carl of Denmark - but he refused to accept unless the people voted for a monarchy over a republic. 79%... (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Upstairs_Drive_5602 on 2025-06-27 11:22:12+00:00.

Original Title: TIL that Norway, after gaining independence from Sweden in 1905, offered the throne to Prince Carl of Denmark - but he refused to accept unless the people voted for a monarchy over a republic. 79% said yes, and he became King Haakon VII, the only known king ever to be elected by popular vote.

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TIL that the 'do' in do-re-mi was originally called 'ut' until the music theorist Giovanni Doni renamed it, ostensibly as an abbreviation of Dominus but some academics suspect that he named it aft... (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/huseddit on 2025-06-27 11:17:00+00:00.

Original Title: TIL that the 'do' in do-re-mi was originally called 'ut' until the music theorist Giovanni Doni renamed it, ostensibly as an abbreviation of Dominus but some academics suspect that he named it after himself

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TIL that male bees and wasps contain half the amount of genetic information that female bees/wasps have, as males hatch from unfertilised eggs. Egg laying females can choose whether or not to fert... (pollinators.psu.edu)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Lady_Hazy on 2025-06-27 10:21:50+00:00.

Original Title: TIL that male bees and wasps contain half the amount of genetic information that female bees/wasps have, as males hatch from unfertilised eggs. Egg laying females can choose whether or not to fertilise an egg from her 'spermatheca' to create male or female offspring.

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TIL in Germany, drivers stuck in traffic on the Autobahn must leave an emergency lane in the middle of the road at all times. (Also Austria & Switzerland). (engineerine.com)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Connguy on 2025-06-27 10:08:04+00:00.

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TIL Spacesuits are equipped with a "spongy device" in the helmet to allow astronauts the ability to plug their nose (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/bryson1995 on 2025-06-27 06:14:35+00:00.

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TIL The Space Shuttle Discovery launched with a bat clinging to the outside of the spacecraft that held on until at least the vehicle cleared the tower. (www.space.com)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/TheWoodser on 2025-06-27 03:31:48+00:00.

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TIL Pedro Pascal’s parents returned to Chile in 1995 after his father Dr. Jose P. Balmaceda was accused of stealing fertility patients' eggs and embryos and implanting them in other women without ... (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/OhSoManyThoughts on 2025-06-27 06:36:34+00:00.

Original Title: TIL Pedro Pascal’s parents returned to Chile in 1995 after his father Dr. Jose P. Balmaceda was accused of stealing fertility patients' eggs and embryos and implanting them in other women without their knowledge and consent.

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TIL organic farms in Germany have vacation accommodations as part of their sustainable tourism, especially during the holidays. (www.tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/BackpackJack_ on 2025-06-27 05:56:47+00:00.

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TIL your belly button is a thriving "rainforest" of microbial diversity, and some people even have bacteria in there that have never been seen before by scientists. (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/JessLovU on 2025-06-27 05:31:23+00:00.

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TIL the human gut has its own nervous system with over 100 million neurons, more than a cats brain, and it can function independently of the brain. (www.hopkinsmedicine.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Evey1336 on 2025-06-27 03:59:16+00:00.