Article created by: Austėja Akavickaitė

The day can be gloomy, hard, long, or totally irrelevant, but if you can learn something on that day, even the simplest fact, then your day is complete. And there’s no better place to do that than our beloved corner of Reddit, the ‘Today I Learned’ community that has people sharing interesting things they learned on the internet.

And keeping in mind what a vast place this world wide web actually is, there’s always something new to discover! Some things are totally useless yet eyebrow-raising, others are seriously game-changing, so there’s a little for everyone to get their brain cells in shape.

Scroll down, upvote your favorites, and be sure to check our previous TIL posts here, here, and here.

#1

Red tulips in full bloom in front of a historic tower, highlighting today I learned facts about growth and learning. TIL, The Netherlands gives Canada 20,000 tulips every year as a thank you for protecting the Dutch royal family in ww2

Jasian1001 , Andrew Scheer Report

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    #2

    Sea urchin underwater with spines visible, illustrating interesting facts for today I learned about marine life. TIL that Sea Urchins are called Sea Urchins because Hedgehogs used to be called Urchins until about the 15th century. Sea Urchins are Ocean Hedgehogs.

    theonewithBacon , Nhobgood Report

    #3

    Woman with long hair covering face with hands, representing emotions linked to today I learned facts and lifelong learning. TIL the self-absorption paradox asserts that the more self-aware we are, the less likely we are to make social mistakes, but the more likely we are to torture ourselves over past mistakes. High self-awareness leads to more psychological distress.

    SonOfQuora , Anna Shvets Report

    LLP-roundincircles
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's distressing that I wasn't aware of this.

    #4

    Tiger walking through tall grass, illustrating strength and focus, inspiring that it's never too late to learn new facts. TIL that tigers are nearly invisible to their prey, who see orange as green. Tigers are orange because mammals can’t produce green fur, and orange was the next best thing.

    Iwantmorelife , Bernard Spragg Report

    #5

    Group of smiling people with dwarfism posing outdoors, illustrating today I learned inspiring facts about life and learning. TIL of the Ovitz family, not only the largest family of dwarfs ever recorded but also the largest family (12 people ranging from a 15-month-old baby to a 58-year-old woman) to enter Auschwitz and survive intact.

    lighted_is_lit , imdb Report

    #6

    Tim Berners-Lee sitting beside a computer showing early World Wide Web pages, highlighting facts that show it's never too late to learn. TIL Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989. He was frustrated with the fact that he had to go and ask his coworkers what data was on their computer so he can add it to his computer which led to him creating an application that became the world wide Web.

    somnifacientsawyer , ITU Pictures Report

    #7

    Young basketball player with mentor at a crowded sports event, illustrating today I learned facts about growth and learning. TIL that Tupac Shakur renamed his publishing company name from "Ghetto Gospel Music" to "Joshua’s Dream" after meeting with 11-year old Joshua Torres with muscular dystrophy who died 45 minutes after Tupac left his bedside

    Sno0pyBo0 , ballislife Report

    #8

    Band Queen posing in leather jackets with sunglasses, showcasing a classic rock look for facts that show it's never too late to learn. TIL, that Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Queen's tribute for Elvis, took Freddie Mercury 10 minutes to write while taking a bath

    Darkness4923 Report

    #9

    Colorful Malabar giant squirrel perched on a tree branch in a green forest, highlighting natural beauty to learn from nature. TIL that in India, there is a species of giant squirrel that have multicoloured fur, with with varying shades of orange, maroon and purple. Their bodies measure 36in from head to tail – double the size of their grey relatives – and they can leap 20ft between trees.

    Alolan_Teddiursa , VinodBhattu Report

    #10

    Various Ribena fruit drink packs and bottles in strawberry, apple, raspberry, and blackcurrant flavors showcased in a colorful display. TIL two high school students found that despite advertising claims that “the blackcurrants in Ribena have four times the vitamin C of oranges,” the drink contained almost no trace of vitamin C and one orange juice brand had over three times more. The company were taken to court and fined NZ$217,500.

    Str33twise84 , Melaneas Report

    #11

    Two cigarettes with cotton and fibrous material inside replacing tobacco, illustrating surprising today I learned facts about smoking. TIL that cigarette filters were designed with color-changing chemicals to give the illusion that they filter out toxins. In reality, the filters have little to no health benefits.

    gnulynnux , Akroti Report

    #12

    A zebra standing in tall grass with rolling hills and trees in the background, illustrating facts that show it's never too late to learn. TIL there is a herd of wild zebras in central California that can be seen off of Route 1 near San Simeon.

    Platographer , Linda Tanner Report

    #13

    Black and white portrait of a man in military uniform representing today I learned facts about never too late to learn. TIL about a New Jersey history professor who was telling a story to his class about how a ranger saved his life in a canyon at night in Texas in 1940. The ranger had managed to track him down and coincidentally walked in to the classroom right as the professor was telling the story.

    CanadianW , Laird Funeral Home Report

    #14

    Humorous tombstone markers with playful inscriptions in a green outdoor setting, reflecting fun facts and creativity. TIL - Ben and Jerry's has a physical graveyard that they retire old flavors to, and you can actually go visit it.

    Chr0nos1 , Jimmy Emerson, DVM Report

    #15

    Woman in a red sweater and blanket holding her forehead, illustrating the challenges of learning new facts today. TIL some people suffer a "weekend migraine" or "let-down headache" on weekends (or other break from a 9-to-5 weekday job) due to a decrease in stress.

    tense_n_nervous Report

    #16

    Two prehistoric aquatic creatures with elongated bodies and paddle-like tails swimming underwater, illustrating fascinating facts to learn. TIL of Tullimonstrum Gregarium, aka the Tully Monster. An animal so strange, that despite having thousands of fossils, we don’t know whether it was a vertebrate or an invertebrate. To add to the strangeness, fossils of this creature have only been found in one fossil site in the world.

    xSparkyBoomManx , Nobu Tamura Report

    LLP-roundincircles
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The biologist need to get a spine. Just make a call guys.

    #17

    Man closely examining a bronze sculpture lying on a surface, illustrating the concept of today I learned facts. TIL Harrison Ford was frozen in The Empire Strikes Back because, unlike Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill, Ford had only signed on for two films. After the success of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Lucas didn't think Ford would return for the 3rd Star Wars film, but left him frozen just in case.

    wjbc Report

    #18

    Man partially hidden behind black cloth, with intense eyes, illustrating the concept of today I learned facts and lifelong learning. TIL that the vampires were not inspired by bats. Bloodsucking bats were only discovered in Latin America in the 16th century, while the earliests vampires stories were from 12th century Europe.

    Ptcruz , George Hodan Report

    LLP-roundincircles
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Somebody will sink their teeth into this mystery.

    #19

    Two surgeons in protective gear performing surgery under bright operating room lights, highlighting learning in medical field. TIL the longest surgery ever recorded was performed in 2001 by a team of 20 doctors; it took 103 hours (more than four days) to complete.

    electricmaster23 , Vidal Balielo Jr. Report

    See Also on Bored Panda
    #20

    Polar bear walking on ice in Arctic landscape illustrating today I learned facts about nature and wildlife. TIL that due to the fact that they spend the majority of their lives on sea ice, polar bears are classified as marine mammals, like dolphins, seals, and whales.

    derstherower , Alan Wilson Report

    #21

    Tall red and white radio tower against a clear blue sky, illustrating facts about today I learned and lifelong learning. TIL the most powerful commercial radio station ever was WLW (700KHz AM), which during certain times in the 1930s broadcasted 500kW radiated power. At night, it covered half the globe. Neighbors within the vicinity of the transmitter heard the audio in their pots, pans, and mattresses.

    PlatinumAero , Joanna Poe Report

    #22

    Red flower shown in three different color effects, illustrating the concept of today I learned facts about nature and growth. TIL Purkinje Effect. Which states that as the lights dim, our eyes get more sensitive towards blue end of the spectrum. This is the reason why in movie theaters, chairs are usually red. In low light, red is the first color the human eye loses sight of, hence enhancing our viewing experience.

    mandlebrot235813 , prateekvjoshi Report

    #23

    Untapped maple syrup packets displayed on a red and yellow background, highlighting natural athletic fuel facts. TIL that Vermont ambulances stock maple syrup for 'oral glucose' administration.

    Jxntb733 , Jxntb733 Report

    #24

    Five children in traditional clothing outdoors, illustrating facts that show it’s never too late to learn new things. TIL Due to casino distributions, every Seminole Indian child born is a multi millionaire when they turn 18 years old.

    joecooool418 , picryl Report

    #25

    British Airways airplane parked at the gate on a rainy day, showing travel and learning facts from new pics TIL about two Irish boys aged 13 and 10 who in 1985 ended up in New York after sneaking onto a train and a ferry in Dublin, a train to Heathrow, and a flight to JFK, all without being caught.

    katdicko , 3219702288063048 Report

    #26

    British Airways Concorde jet ascending in clear sky, showcasing iconic supersonic airplane design and engineering feats. TIL that the Concorde airplane flew so fast, if you left London (or Paris) in the evening flying west towards New York, to the passengers in the plane, the sun would actually appear to begin rising again shortly after reaching cruising speed. The plane flew faster than the Earth's rotation.

    PlatinumAer0 , Eduard Marmet Report

    #27

    Actor and actress smiling together in a scene from a classic film, symbolizing moments worth learning. TIL In the original ending to "Pretty Woman", Richard Gere's character throws Julia Roberts character out of his limo in a dirty alley and tosses $3,000 on top of her

    New_Particular7075 Report

    #28

    Close-up view of the ancient pyramid stones under a clear sky, illustrating 'Today I Learned' facts about history and learning. TIL it took 4 people only 4 days to replicate a typical 2.5 tonne Block of the Great Pyramid, using the same tools found in an abandoned ancient quarry (copper chisels, wooden mallets, etc.)

    BetaKeyTakeaway , Mgiganteus1 Report

    #29

    Close-up of a glowing green substance inside a round transparent container, illustrating today I learned facts. TIL there's a mineral element (Promethium) so rare that it's estimated there are 500-600 grams of it in the Earth's crust

    Soft-Problem , Lanthanum-138 Report

    See Also on Bored Panda
    #30

    Close-up of a yellow planet with a hazy atmosphere against a black space background, illustrating today I learned facts. TIL Titan is the only moon in the solar system with a thick atmosphere and the only world other than Earth that has surface liquid in the form of lakes, rivers and oceans

    svetambara , NASA Report

    #31

    Stacked Pringles chips spilling out of a can, illustrating a fun fact about snacks from today I learned facts. TIL Procter & Gamble argued for years that Pringles were NOT potato chips, but Britain’s Supreme Court of Judicature ultimately determined that they were -- requiring Procter & Gamble to pay $160 million in taxes.

    sisyphushaditsoeasy , goiwara Report

    #32

    Beauty pageant contestants on stage wearing evening gowns, showcasing confidence and elegance during the event. TIL Cyprus was going to host the first particle accelerator in the Middle East, but ministers chose to spend the money on hosting the Miss Universe pageant instead.

    mrcchapman , Miss Universe Report

    #33

    Close-up view of the sun with glowing solar flares illustrating fascinating facts to show it's never too late to learn. TIL that the Sun is 99.86% of all mass in our solar system. Every other planet, asteroid, and comet only adds up to 7/50th of a single percent.

    Katiari , NASA Report

    #34

    A cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato floating in front of a blue burst background highlighting today I learned facts. TIL Krabby Patty is a veggie burger, as he series' creator, Stephen Hillenburg, expressly stated that the patties do not contain any meat.

    Super_ACF Report

    #35

    Two wrestlers in red and blue singlets competing on a mat with a scoreboard in the background, showing today I learned facts. TIL that despite not existing for the past 30 years, the Soviet Union still holds the most Olympic gold medals for wrestling.

    disc2k , The U.S. National Archives Report