Today I Learned (TIL)

Original Title: TIL that Clint Eastwood personally called Richard Harris to ask him to play English Bob in the 1992 film Unforgiven. Harris was, at that moment, watching High Plains Drifter, another Eastwood film. This led Harris to believe he was being pranked.

1931

1

TIL "The White March" was the largest demonstration in Belgian history, with an estimated 300,000 people participating. It became a powerful symbol of public grief, anger, and a desire for change (www.thebulletin.be)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/cash_jc on 2025-07-16 21:59:50+00:00.

1932

1

TIL about mummy unwrapping parties. They were social events popular among the Victorian elite, where Egyptian mummies were ceremoniously unwrapped for entertainment. (www.atlasobscura.com)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/AlabamaHotcakes on 2025-07-16 20:27:54+00:00.

1933

2

TIL Denver, CO has an official mayor's residence that no mayor has ever lived in. It was donated to the city in 1998 and none of the 5 mayors since that time has opted to move in. (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/rodiraskol on 2025-07-16 20:52:25+00:00.

1934

2

TIL the most successful German u-boat commander—who sank 193 ships and 453,000 tons of material throughout WW1—was known to strictly follow prize law, giving civilian ships adequate time to evacua... (uboat.net)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/XyleneCobalt on 2025-07-16 20:33:30+00:00.

Original Title: TIL the most successful German u-boat commander—who sank 193 ships and 453,000 tons of material throughout WW1—was known to strictly follow prize law, giving civilian ships adequate time to evacuate on lifeboats and directions to the nearest port

1935

1

TIL of the Morecambe Bay cockling disaster, in which 21 Chinese workers smuggled in by a gang died in Morecambe, north-west England after being cut-off and drowned by the incoming tide while harve... (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/a3poify on 2025-07-16 20:21:06+00:00.

Original Title: TIL of the Morecambe Bay cockling disaster, in which 21 Chinese workers smuggled in by a gang died in Morecambe, north-west England after being cut-off and drowned by the incoming tide while harvesting cockles

1936

3

TIL that while Avocados are mostly used in savory dishes in the West, they’re often enjoyed as desserts in Southeast Asia (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Filippinka on 2025-07-16 20:07:07+00:00.

1937

1

TIL 46 years ago, on July 16, 1979, the Church Rock mill incident released 94 million gallons of nuclear waste & radioactive water into the Puerco river and Navajo nation. It is the third larg... (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Somo_99 on 2025-07-16 18:43:32+00:00.

Original Title: TIL 46 years ago, on July 16, 1979, the Church Rock mill incident released 94 million gallons of nuclear waste & radioactive water into the Puerco river and Navajo nation. It is the third largest nuclear accident in history, behind only Fukushima and Chernobyl

1938

2

TIL the only organization to have ever operated full scale nuclear facilities without a single serious safety incident is the US Navy, largely credited to the work of Hyman G Rickover (everything-everywhere.com)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Sailor_Rout on 2025-07-16 18:04:55+00:00.

1939

1

TIL Venice is said to have been founded in 421 AD by the Venti refugees fleeing Vandal invaders, and in the following years were joined by those escaping Lombard invaders. Settling in the sparsely... (www.europeanwaterways.com)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/AlabamaHotcakes on 2025-07-16 15:25:38+00:00.

Original Title: TIL Venice is said to have been founded in 421 AD by the Venti refugees fleeing Vandal invaders, and in the following years were joined by those escaping Lombard invaders. Settling in the sparsely populated marshlands and lagoons by the adriatic sea.

1940

2

TIL that tumbleweed is not native to the Americas, first appearing in South Dakota in the 1870s when a shipment of flaxseed from Russia was contaminated. (wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/mvincen95 on 2025-07-16 11:49:24+00:00.

1941

1

TIL Walt Disney’s last words were “Kurt Russell” (wbsm.com)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/rsae_majoris on 2025-07-16 15:58:54+00:00.

1942

2

TIL the longest serving president of South Korea, Park Chung Hee, fought on the side of Japan during WW2. (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/PinkiePie___ on 2025-07-16 15:02:08+00:00.

1943

2

TIL that Morocco was the first country to formally recognize the United States as an independent nation in 1777. The Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship, signed in 1786, is the longest unbroken... (www.peoplesworld.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/MeatUnusual2098 on 2025-07-16 14:28:25+00:00.

Original Title: TIL that Morocco was the first country to formally recognize the United States as an independent nation in 1777. The Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship, signed in 1786, is the longest unbroken treaty in U.S. history.

1944

2

TIL Madrid nearly tripled its metro network in 12 years from 71mi (114km) to 197mi (317km). One 35 mile expansion program cost as much as 1.5 mile extension in NYC adjusted for inflation. (worksinprogress.co)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/BadenBaden1981 on 2025-07-16 14:27:20+00:00.

1945

3

TIL only 3.5% of Norway's land is considered arable land (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/jacknunn on 2025-07-16 13:38:22+00:00.

1946

1

TIL that 7 in 10 Canadian drivers admit to speeding at least occasionally, with the average speeder going 12km/h over the limit on highways, 10km/h over on larger roads, and 7km/h over on resident... (tc.canada.ca)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/AverageKaikiEnjoyer on 2025-07-16 13:23:14+00:00.

Original Title: TIL that 7 in 10 Canadian drivers admit to speeding at least occasionally, with the average speeder going 12km/h over the limit on highways, 10km/h over on larger roads, and 7km/h over on residential streets. Many view this as not "technically speeding" due to lack of enforcement.

1947

1

TIL that Pheasant Island is a condominium, a political territory in which multiple sovereign powers formally agree to share administrative responsibilities. From 1 February until 31 July, Spain ho... (www.euronews.com)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Dystopics_IT on 2025-07-16 12:40:38+00:00.

Original Title: TIL that Pheasant Island is a condominium, a political territory in which multiple sovereign powers formally agree to share administrative responsibilities. From 1 February until 31 July, Spain holds stewardship, the other six months onward, the small island becomes an official part of France.

1948

2

TIL the US government tried to control the relentless Oregon dunes by planting European beachgrass starting in the 1920s — a geo-engineering project that inspired Frank Herbert’s creation of the D... (www.bbc.com)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Torley_ on 2025-07-16 11:15:38+00:00.

Original Title: TIL the US government tried to control the relentless Oregon dunes by planting European beachgrass starting in the 1920s — a geo-engineering project that inspired Frank Herbert’s creation of the Dune universe. However, the Oregon Dunes Restoration Collective sees the sand as a threatened resource.

1949

2

TIL that the moon seems huge on the horizon because your brain quietly edits the scene. It is called the Moon Illusion. (science.nasa.gov)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/OneVeryCoolFact on 2025-07-16 11:12:14+00:00.

1950

1

TIL In the oldest surviving law code, some of the laws include: "If a man knocks out the eye of another man, he shall weigh out half a mina of silver." and "If a man has cut off another man's foot... (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/CreeperRussS on 2025-07-16 11:02:22+00:00.

Original Title: TIL In the oldest surviving law code, some of the laws include: "If a man knocks out the eye of another man, he shall weigh out half a mina of silver." and "If a man has cut off another man's foot, he is to pay ten shekels."