35 Fascinating Facts That People Only Learned Now And Just Had To Share With Others (New Pics)
The world is fascinating! For example, just today we found out that people all over the world drink 2.6 billion servings of Coca-Cola every day, which is like 11,000 sodas every second. In fact, we learned this from a cool Reddit group called 'Today I Learned'.
This group has a whopping 32.7 million members who share new fascinating facts they learn every day. From quirky trivia to mind-bending revelations, you might just find some interesting insights in these posts. So, step right in and start scrolling. And don't hesitate to upvote the facts that really caught your attention!
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TIL that MIT will award a Certificate in Piracy if you take archery, pistols, sailing and fencing as your required PE classes.
You might love chatting about things like your job or hobbies, but it's also important to keep adding new interesting facts to what you know. "We all know that it is important to exercise the body, but very little do we talk about the benefits of exercising the mind," says Frank Elaridi, a wellness coach, the co-founder of Modern Nirvana Conference, and co-author of the Modern Nirvana Oracle Deck.
TIL in 1993 a fan at a Chicago Bulls game won a shot to make a basket from half court for $1million and made it. The insurance company disqualified him because he played bball in college but the team paid him themselves and years later he met Michael Jordan who told him "we made them give it to you"
TIL Svalbard, Norway is the only visa-free zone in the world. Regardless of citizenship, anyone can live and work there indefinitely.
Continuous learning is when you keep on learning and gaining skills to grow and open up more chances for yourself. It's about your personal and professional growth to avoid standing still and reach your highest potential.
TIL that the bees of the British Royal Family were informed of the Queen’s death and their hives were adorned with black ribbons, following old traditions of informing bees about change of ownership
TIL the first telephone switchboard operators were boys, but their "rude and abusive" behavior led them to be replaced by young women.
My grandma, now 91 was an operator for BC telephone company (British Columbia Canada) back in the 50's... she has lots of stories to tell... interesting job for young people back then.
Oh, that's so awesome! If you have the time and inclination, you should write/record some.
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They would get drunk, start fights with each other, tell callers to, and I quote, “fúck off!”, refuse to connect callers and other such indiscretions. I would have loved to have been a caller to them at the time!
That's interesting - it's almost like an early version of internet behaviour - the people they were abusing weren't physically present so they felt they could say what they liked.
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I can imagine the terror of letting a group of teenaged boys loose at a telephone exchange.
My teenage neighbor playing Fortnite with his mic on was bad enough.
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My mother used to bring me to work to operate the switchboard when their receptionist was out. This was the 90s so much more advanced than the original switchboards, but still wild when I think about how that doesn't really exist anymore.
My grandma wad a switchboard operator in the countryside on Funen, Denmark when she was young and, I assume, until they stopped this profession. When she was in her 80s she, my dad, his wife and I went to a museum about electricity and its uses. At this museum there was a switchboard and my grandma sat down to show me how it worked and she worked that board as if it's the only thing she ever did in her life. I love that memory of her. And I miss her so much. 😥
A large Catholic Church, with abbey and convent. A young nun was working the switchboard. She picks up an incoming, and hears, "Sister, this is brother. Father wants to talk to mother."
Operator / Oh, could you help me place this call? / You see the number on the matchbook / Is old and faded / She's livin' in L. A / With my best old ex-friend Ray / A guy she said she knew well / And sometimes hated /
welp, i worked for Ma Bell in the early 70s, on a plug board just like that one. you regularly got shocked when you pulled up the line and touched both.
my one was one for British telecom in her late teens early 20's
"Can you connect me to 31 Spooner Street, Quahog?" "Do it yourself, d******d." "Steven, we're a switchboard. They can't do it themselves!"
An interesting tidbit, but is it true? Switchboard operation seems very clerical and similar to other jobs usually relegated to women. Although I guess many telegraph operators were men, so maybe?
This gave me an internal chuckle because I immediately thought of Agnes Moorehead's famous Suspense radio episode "Sorry Wrong Number" where she spends nearly the entire 25 minutes berating the operator for being "so STUPID". You can't blame her though, she's supposed to be panic-stricken trying to prevent her own murder.
Well those boys got the world’s first taste of impersonal over the phone customer service. Enough said.
"their "rude and abusive" behavior", LMAO. Of course many of us guys would be a******s in thaty way. lololol
TIL in ancient Egypt, under the decree of Ptolemy II, all ships visiting the city were obliged to surrender their books to the library of Alexandria and be copied. The original would be kept in the library and the copy given back to the owner.
Today, ongoing learning plays an essential role in developing crucial critical thinking abilities and exploring methods of engaging with people from diverse cultures. The idea of not engaging in perpetual learning is not understandable.
TIL Abraham Lincoln was kicked in the head by a horse at age 9, almost severed a thumb with an axe, got frostbite on his feet, clubbed on the head during a robbery, had malaria and smallpox, and experienced the death of his mother, sister, and 2 sons. He suffered from melancholy(clinical depression)
TIL that in 1999, Sergio Motsoeneng ran part of the Comrades Marathon, then went into a mobile toilet to switch places with his twin brother. They won 9th place and the equivalent of about $500, but got caught when a newspaper published photos of them wearing their watches on opposite wrists.
As Greek philosopher Heraclitus famously expressed, "The only thing that is constant is change." Whether it's changes in your profession, shifts in your personal life, or transformations within your community and institutions, one of the best strategies for effectively managing change is through lifelong learning.
TIL: The amount of abs you can attain is purely determined by genetics. While 6 packs are the most common, some bodybuilders such as Schwarzenegger can only attain a 4 pack. This is due to humans being born with different amounts of fascia bands. The most you can have is a 10 pack, which is rare.
TIL In 2003, two men stole & flew a Boeing 727-223 parked at the Luanda International Airport (in Angola) and neither of them was qualified to fly the plane. The plane & the men are missing to date.
TIL Samsung created a butt shaped robot that sits on their phones to test their durability. The robot exerts 220 pounds of pressure on their phones during testing. The robot even wears jeans.
Instead of overwhelming your mind with a load of information in one go, consider taking it easy and aiming to learn something new every day. Learning something new every day can help keep your brain sharp as you get older. It improves your memory, focus, and problem-solving, and might even lower the risk of dementia, says Elaridi. Keeping your brain active is crucial since a lazy brain can struggle to remember words and ideas.
TIL A day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus. It rotates incredibly slowly on its axis, taking about 243 Earth days, while it completes an orbit around the Sun in around 225 Earth days.
TIL Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan had to ask fans to stop recreating a scene from the show where a pissed off Bryan Cranston throws a pizza on his roof, because the real life owner of the house was sick and tired of this happening.
The house owner should charge everyone $50 to throw a pizza up onto his roof. It’s a weird way to make a living, but times are tough!
TIL ancient Greeks would irrigate battle wounds with vinegar and honey and then use spiderwebs to keep the honey in the wound
Learning something new regularly keeps your brain sharp and alert. It also fulfills your natural craving for novelty and growth, says Alexis Haselberger, a productivity expert. This daily learning boosts confidence, helps you connect with others, and makes you feel better overall.
TIL: In 1562, Spanish bishop Diego de Landa burned 27 Mayan manuscripts in front of the Maya people of Maní, Yucatan. This was an attempt to erase their memories of their Gods and beliefs so that they were more easily coerced into converting to Catholicism. Today, only four Mayan manuscripts exist.
TIL the youngest person to ever be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease was only 19 years old, with initial symptoms beginning at 17.
TIL in 1642, the people of New Haven, Connecticut were horrified by the birth of a "monstrous" pig with one eye. They became convinced that George Spencer, a local man with one eye, had sex with a pig and was the biological father. He was found guilty of bestiality and executed by hanging.
How about pigs born with two eyes then? Is everyone there guilty of b********y?
Learning doesn't have to be a chore. Have fun with it by choosing topics you like. Wellness coach Elaridi says to go for something that excites you, not just what you think you should learn. If you're not into a topic, you'll probably get distracted or lose interest. So, pick what you're passionate about.
TIL that Irving Berlin is the only Academy Award winner in history who presented the award to themselves. He won for writing ‘White Christmas’, and declared that opening the envelope was extremely awkward. The rules were then changed to prevent this ever happening again.
TIL that at least 4 billion people across the globe wear glasses, and 75% of adults worldwide rely on some sight correction product.
I had laser eye surgery. That was a great decision - no more glasses!
TIL in 1956 Paris and Rome signed an agreement to become twin cities of each other exclusively with the statement "Only Paris is worthy of Rome; only Rome is worthy of Paris".
I really hope that the olympics will have the same effect on Paris it had on Barcelona. Because Paris could be so much nicer than it currently is.
If you're bored, have free time, or want a change, learning something new can make you feel better in your mind and body. It provides motivation. Picking up a new language, trying out a musical instrument, or tending to a small herb garden can bring you energy, happiness, and a sense of purpose.
TIL that most airlines never use a flight number again if that flight has a fatal crash, except for American Airlines, which keeps using flight #1 despite three major crashes.
TIL that Anne Ramsey, best known for her role in Throw Mama From The Train (1987), her slurred speech was due to operations for her throat cancer and was in pain during the whole production. She was nominated for an Oscar. Sadly she died of her throat cancer 6 months after the ceremony.
TIL that Gal Gadot was five months pregnant while shooting for wonder woman. So, the costume department covered her belly with a bright green fabric that they could digitally alter in postproduction.
One of the learning benefits is that it fights boredom. Doing the same routine daily can become dull and drain your excitement for life. While learning something new requires more effort than simply watching TV, the rewards are plentiful.
TIL that an estimated of 22% of all gold ever accounted for on the earth's surface came from a single plateau in South Africa called Witwatersrand.
TIL Paracetamol overdose is one of the leading causes of acute liver failure
Further paracetamol trivia: Pharmacists/pharmacologists don’t actually know how paracetamol works so if they were trying to get it on the market today it would never be approved.
It also boosts self-confidence, "When you acquire a new skill, your brain's prefrontal cortex becomes more active," explains Dennis Buttimer, a life and wellness coach at Cancer Wellness at Piedmont. "As you progress in mastering this skill, you'll gain confidence and courage, which can help you conquer fear and anxiety. You'll feel more empowered."
TIL about the 2010 book "Barbie: I Can Be A Computer Engineer" and that Mattell apologized for the book after extensive online criticism because Barbie had her male friends code the game she was designing and that her male friends fixed Skipper's computer that Barbie had infected with a virus
Barbie was an astronaut years before NASA employed a woman as an astronaut. And a president when almost no woman was head of state. How much have they regressed that she can't be a competent programmer.
TIL the Majority of Millennials and Gen Z use subtitles when streaming TV
TIL Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt was allergic to moon dust.
Learning new things every day might help with your health, "Learning is excellent for your brain no matter your age," Buttimer points out. "When you take on a new skill, your brain starts reshaping itself since it remains adaptable. In the past, it was believed that this adaptability lasted only until adolescence. However, current research indicates that the brain can keep changing throughout our lives, and in a positive way. This leads to fewer fear responses and a more positive outlook."
TIL Japan has a ratio of one vending machine for every 30 people.
According to google, in 2023, 123'294'513 people live in Japan. Divided by 30, that means approximately 4'109'817 vending machines. That's a looooooot of vending machined!
TIL the 1 billion smokers in the world contribute to the 880,000 second hand smoke deaths each year from those that do not smoke.
Doctor recently asked me if I smoke - asked if the first 20 years of my life with my heavy-smoking mother counted. He didn't have a response to that.
TIL there are 96 bags of human waste on the moon.
Litter seems to be the calling card of our species, more than leaving a flag behind.
Here's your daily dose of motivation to learn something new each day. To kick things off, you can begin by exploring the fascinating posts on the subreddit r/todayilearned. And if you're hungry for more intriguing facts, don't forget to check out our past posts here, here, here, and here.
TIL that honey bees are *not* endangered
But many other species of bees are. The UK has lost 13 species of wild bee in recent times.
TIL from WTC debris, the structural steel was bought by scrap metal industry and sold to Chinese and Indian second hand metal markets. Several buildings were built with Twin Tower steel across Indian cities, including a college and a trade centre.
Note: this post originally had 43 images. It’s been shortened to the top 35 images based on user votes.
A ‘wellness expert’ (I put quotes around the title simply because this is a very loose term) is quoted in the article, suggesting we study what we are passionate about. A neuroscientist put it differently . That advice is: don’t follow your passion, because passion changes and fails. Instead, study and learn about things that you find interesting.
A ‘wellness expert’ (I put quotes around the title simply because this is a very loose term) is quoted in the article, suggesting we study what we are passionate about. A neuroscientist put it differently . That advice is: don’t follow your passion, because passion changes and fails. Instead, study and learn about things that you find interesting.
