Today I Learned (TIL)

824 readers
10 users here now

You learn something new every day; what did you learn today? Submit interesting and specific facts about something that you just found out here.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
bot@lemmit.online
listing: all - local
1876
1
TIL that “unsinkable” Molly (Margaret) Brown wasn’t just a Titanic survivor, she spoke five languages, ran for the US Senate before women could vote and earned France’s "Légion d'honneur". Astrona... (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Upstairs_Drive_5602 on 2025-07-18 10:49:51+00:00.

Original Title: TIL that “unsinkable” Molly (Margaret) Brown wasn’t just a Titanic survivor, she spoke five languages, ran for the US Senate before women could vote and earned France’s "Légion d'honneur". Astronauts named their 1965 Gemini spacecraft after her, prompting NASA to ban informal names afterwards.

1877
1
TIL Hypergraphia is the intense desire to write or draw. While associated with temporal lobe changes in epilepsy, some prolific artistic figures are associated with the condition — such as Isaac A... (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Torley_ on 2025-07-18 11:24:42+00:00.

Original Title: TIL Hypergraphia is the intense desire to write or draw. While associated with temporal lobe changes in epilepsy, some prolific artistic figures are associated with the condition — such as Isaac Asimov, Vincent van Gogh, and Lewis Carroll.

1878
2
TIL That a governor disappeared by going to Argentina for an extramarital affair. During his six day disappearance, one of the governors spokesperson claimed he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. "... (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/CreeperRussS on 2025-07-18 09:44:18+00:00.

Original Title: TIL That a governor disappeared by going to Argentina for an extramarital affair. During his six day disappearance, one of the governors spokesperson claimed he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. "Hiking the Appalachian Trail" is now a euphemism for a sexual scandal.

1879
2
TIL of Operation Moolah which was an US effort to capture a Soviet MIG-15 fighter jet during the Korean war. The US offered asylum and 100 000$ to anyone who would defect with one. The North Korea... (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/AlabamaHotcakes on 2025-07-18 04:34:42+00:00.

Original Title: TIL of Operation Moolah which was an US effort to capture a Soviet MIG-15 fighter jet during the Korean war. The US offered asylum and 100 000$ to anyone who would defect with one. The North Korean pilot who eventually defected with a MIG-15 didn't know about the reward.

1880
1
TIL a company that made smart airline suitcases had to shut down operations after several major airlines banned luggage with non-removable batteries to reduce the risk of battery fires. The compan... (www.theverge.com)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Bigred2989- on 2025-07-18 04:51:59+00:00.

Original Title: TIL a company that made smart airline suitcases had to shut down operations after several major airlines banned luggage with non-removable batteries to reduce the risk of battery fires. The company claims they had sold around 65,000 suitcases around the time of the ban.

1881
1
TIL when infamous fraudster Bernie Madoff died, he was cremated (contrary to Jewish tradition) and his family refused to claim his ashes, so they are currently sitting in a lawyer's office. (now.tufts.edu)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/lifeofcelibacy on 2025-07-18 04:28:05+00:00.

1882
2
TIL that in the United States flamethrowers are legal in most of the country, with exception to Maryland’s full ban and California requiring a permit from the State Fire Marshal. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/MothersMiIk on 2025-07-18 03:56:38+00:00.

1883
1
TIL despite Australia’s reputation for having dangerous snakes, Australia averages just 1-2 snake bite deaths per year. (theconversation.com)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/optichange on 2025-07-18 03:19:50+00:00.

1884
2
[TIL] It took U of Oklahoma students just two days to defeat a new, electronic, windshield-blocking parking enforcement device called The Barnacle, using things like defoggers, Faraday cages, and ... (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/bourj on 2025-07-18 01:56:19+00:00.

Original Title: [TIL] It took U of Oklahoma students just two days to defeat a new, electronic, windshield-blocking parking enforcement device called The Barnacle, using things like defoggers, Faraday cages, and bait cars.

1885
2
TIL MC HAMMER was a true gangster and other rappers feared him. He would threaten and put out hits on other rappers who he felt discredited him, or his family. (www.kqed.org)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/SpongerPower on 2025-07-18 00:38:17+00:00.

1886
1
TIL in 2016, the CEO of human resources startup Zenefits had to send a memo explicitly banning drinking and having sex in the office after "several used condoms were found in the stairwell". (www.refinery29.com)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/LookAtThatBacon on 2025-07-17 23:41:55+00:00.

1887
1
TIL Historians rediscovered the tomb of the “missing pharaoh” Thutmose II the first new royal tomb found since Tutankhamun. (archaeologymag.com)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/One_Needleworker5218 on 2025-07-17 23:34:06+00:00.

1888
1
TIL that Polish model Agnieszka Kotlarska-Świątek, survived missing TWA Flight 800, only to be murdered by a stalker weeks later in front of her husband and daughter (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/BrianOBlivion1 on 2025-07-17 23:32:17+00:00.

1889
2
TIL Harvard had lost original Magna Carta hiding in its archives for almost 80 years. (hls.harvard.edu)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/One_Needleworker5218 on 2025-07-17 22:50:50+00:00.

1890
1
TIL Investigation on the Bangla 211 plane crash revealed the the pilot had been "severely distressed" and hadn't slept the night before the flight. He was crying in the cockpit while telling the s... (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Ainsley-Sorsby on 2025-07-17 21:10:13+00:00.

Original Title: TIL Investigation on the Bangla 211 plane crash revealed the the pilot had been "severely distressed" and hadn't slept the night before the flight. He was crying in the cockpit while telling the story of an alleged affair with one of his trainees and was too anxious to pay attention to the job

1891
1
TIL the Ottoman Empire allowed new sultans to execute their brothers to secure the throne, Mehmed III had nineteen brothers killed under this law. (qawl.com)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/MeatUnusual2098 on 2025-07-17 20:55:24+00:00.

1892
2
TIL that in 1996 a group in England broke into an air base and used hammers to significantly damage warplanes, which were due to be sold to Indonesia. A jury found the group innocent because they ... (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/unclear_warfare on 2025-07-17 20:17:50+00:00.

Original Title: TIL that in 1996 a group in England broke into an air base and used hammers to significantly damage warplanes, which were due to be sold to Indonesia. A jury found the group innocent because they felt the planes were likely to be used in the Indonesian military's genocide in East Timor

1893
2
TIL older adults who regularly use smartphones and computers tend to have lower rates of cognitive decline (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/mrinternetman24 on 2025-07-17 20:04:07+00:00.

1894
2
TIL that last june,a wels catfish in northern Bavaria was shot dead by police officers, after it bit five people in the Brombachsee.The police claimed killing the fish was necessary as it posed a ... (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/MrMiracle27 on 2025-07-17 19:58:18+00:00.

Original Title: TIL that last june,a wels catfish in northern Bavaria was shot dead by police officers, after it bit five people in the Brombachsee.The police claimed killing the fish was necessary as it posed a threat to swimmers in the lake and to the guests of a music festival nearby.

1895
1
TIL that in 1783, the Laki volcano in Iceland erupted for 8 months. It caused a famine that killed 1/3rd of all Icelanders and changed global temperatures. The 1784 winter saw ice flows in the Gul... (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/MrMojoFomo on 2025-07-17 19:57:11+00:00.

Original Title: TIL that in 1783, the Laki volcano in Iceland erupted for 8 months. It caused a famine that killed 1/3rd of all Icelanders and changed global temperatures. The 1784 winter saw ice flows in the Gulf of Mexico and a frozen Mississippi river as far as New Orleans

1896
1
TIL that Jason Steele conceived Charlie the Unicorn as a gift for his mother's birthday. Steele had lost his job and most of his possessions in the wake of Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/CarFlipJudge on 2025-07-17 19:07:01+00:00.

1897
1
TIL that in 1971, a man hijacked a Thunder Bay to Toronto flight to Havana. 30 years later, he was arrested in USA when Canadian investigators googled his name, with the sole hit being a then-rece... (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/SamsonFox2 on 2025-07-17 17:57:50+00:00.

Original Title: TIL that in 1971, a man hijacked a Thunder Bay to Toronto flight to Havana. 30 years later, he was arrested in USA when Canadian investigators googled his name, with the sole hit being a then-recent article about his work with Bronx kids.

1898
1
TIL that Apple’s macOS and iOS took their roots from Unix systems written in the C programming language, which was created by Dennis Ritchie in the early 1970s at Bell Labs (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/LinaRaye on 2025-07-17 11:08:05+00:00.

1899
1
TIL Epona was a Gaulic goddess who protected horses and ponies. She became the only Celtic god worshiped in Rome, where she became the patroness of cavalry. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/ownmonster3000 on 2025-07-17 17:19:25+00:00.

1900
2
TIL that hundreds of tree seeds went to the moon with the Apollo 14 mission, resulting in Moon Trees planted all around the country during the 1970s—few of which still stand today. (www.atlasobscura.com)
submitted 1 month ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
0 comments fedilink
 
 
This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/stopitsgingertime on 2025-07-17 15:59:16+00:00.

view more: ‹ prev next ›