25 Facts Shared By The TIL Online Group That Might Teach You Something New Today
For those who love to be surprised or inspired by new information, TIL is like a daily dose of intellectual curiosity. Let’s dive into some recent discoveries from the TIL subreddit and take a look at the kinds of facts that spark awe, laughter, and wonder among Redditors.
In the age of the internet, learning is no longer confined to classrooms or textbooks. From video tutorials and online courses to digital encyclopedias, knowledge is at our fingertips 24/7. One of the most exciting ways this plays out is on Reddit’s popular ‘Today I Learned’ (TIL) subreddit. Home to a massive community, TIL is a space where people share fascinating, quirky, and sometimes downright unbelievable facts on topics that span science, history, pop culture, and beyond.
For those who love to be surprised or inspired by new information, TIL is like a daily dose of intellectual curiosity. Let’s dive into some recent discoveries from the TIL subreddit and take a look at the kinds of facts that spark awe, laughter, and wonder among Redditors.
Image source: Super_Goomba64, Dimension Films
In the Movie "Scream" (1996) there is a section in the credits saying "No Thanks whatsoever to the Santa Rosa city school district governing board" Santa Rosa revoked permissions to film there last minute and cost the production 350,000$.
Image source: Frisk-256, U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation
In world war 2, English soldiers would use passwords that had sounds that the language of the people they where fighting against did not have, so that they could tell if an unidentified person was an enemy soldier tying to infiltrate them by if they said these sounds correctly.
Image source: HauntedHippie, Ivan Evans
A 2022 California Supreme Court decision allowed bumble bees to be considered a protected species because they met the state’s legal definition of a “fish”.
Image source: Fishblaster69, Kurz & Allison.
US president Benjamin Harrison was widowed while in office in 1892. Four years later, Harrison married his dead wife's niece and had a daughter with her. His adult children who were around 40 years old, were horrified that their father married their cousin and didn't attend the wedding.
Image source: PinheadLarry2323
Dictator Muammar Gaddafi had a strange obsession with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He had Libya's most famous composer write her a song called "Black Flower in the White House." A photo album full of pictures of her was also found next to his bed by opposition fighters.
Image source: 9oRo, Focus Features
Heath Ledger refused to present the Oscars in 2007 after he and Jake Gyllenhaal were asked to make fun of their "Brokeback Mountain" characters' romance.
Image source: tyrion2024, antmoose
In 200 CE, Roman Emperor Septimius Severus banned all female gladiatorial combat, reportedly after hearing such lewd jokes directed at women in an athletic contest that he feared the sport bred disrespect for all women.
Image source: Brendawg324
The loudest shout ever recorded was by a primary school teacher who yelled ‘quiet!’ It was clocked at 121.7 decibels and the record has stood for 30 years.
Image source: preflex, National Archives and Records Administration
The "S" in "Harry S. Truman" wasn't an abbreviation. The dude's middle name was literally just the letter S.
Image source: gullydon, Coast Artists Inc.
During World War II, US comedian Redd Foxx dodged the draft by eating half a bar of soap before his physical, a trick that resulted in heart palpitations.
Image source: Simopop, NASA
Earth's magnetic field was approximately twice as strong in Roman times as it is now.
Image source: CatPooedInMyShoe, Hulton Archive
In 1853, linguist and explorer Richard Francis Burton disguised himself as a Muslim and made the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca which is required of all Muslims. He later wrote a book about his experiences.
Image source: CompetitiveNovel8990, German Federal Archive
Local Cretan resistance in WWII was so great that civilians would attack Axis paratroopers as they were landing with knives, axes, scythes and even their bare hands.
Image source: No-Breadfruit1626, Please provide
There was case in US where a person failed to die during electric chair execution and then his lawyers tried to argue that he was not dead but he had been executed and that it was cruel to go through a second time.
Image source: Jugales, Antoine Claudet
Near the end of her life, Ada Lovelace had a religious transformation and began to repent the conduct of her life. After confessing something to her husband 3 months before her death, he abandoned her bedside. It is not known what she told him.
#1
Image source: Super_Goomba64, Dimension Films
In the Movie "Scream" (1996) there is a section in the credits saying "No Thanks whatsoever to the Santa Rosa city school district governing board" Santa Rosa revoked permissions to film there last minute and cost the production 350,000$.
#2
Image source: Frisk-256, U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation
In world war 2, English soldiers would use passwords that had sounds that the language of the people they where fighting against did not have, so that they could tell if an unidentified person was an enemy soldier tying to infiltrate them by if they said these sounds correctly.
#3
Image source: HauntedHippie, Ivan Evans
A 2022 California Supreme Court decision allowed bumble bees to be considered a protected species because they met the state’s legal definition of a “fish”.
#4
A clown saved 300 children during the deadliest avalanche in history. Only 400 people survived out of around 18,000 in the town of Yungay, Peru. The children were attending a circus and a clown led them to higher ground moments before the avalanche destroyed the entire town. Image source: SpecialNeedsBurrito#5
Image source: Fishblaster69, Kurz & Allison.
US president Benjamin Harrison was widowed while in office in 1892. Four years later, Harrison married his dead wife's niece and had a daughter with her. His adult children who were around 40 years old, were horrified that their father married their cousin and didn't attend the wedding.
#6
Tom Sawyer author Mark Twain invented the clasps commonly used on women’s bras. Image source: JoudiniJoker#7
Image source: PinheadLarry2323
Dictator Muammar Gaddafi had a strange obsession with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He had Libya's most famous composer write her a song called "Black Flower in the White House." A photo album full of pictures of her was also found next to his bed by opposition fighters.
#8
Image source: 9oRo, Focus Features
Heath Ledger refused to present the Oscars in 2007 after he and Jake Gyllenhaal were asked to make fun of their "Brokeback Mountain" characters' romance.
#9
During the siege of Leningrad during World War II, 28 scientists chose to die of hunger while protecting the seed vault at the Vavilov Institute rather than eating the seeds. Image source: giuliomagnifico#10
2024 is the year the US Dept of Health and Human Services banned hospitals from performing non-consensual breast, pelvic, prostate, and rectal exams for “educational and training purposes” by medical students and practitioners on patients under anesthesia. Image source: emath113#11
Image source: tyrion2024, antmoose
In 200 CE, Roman Emperor Septimius Severus banned all female gladiatorial combat, reportedly after hearing such lewd jokes directed at women in an athletic contest that he feared the sport bred disrespect for all women.
#12
Image source: Brendawg324
The loudest shout ever recorded was by a primary school teacher who yelled ‘quiet!’ It was clocked at 121.7 decibels and the record has stood for 30 years.
#13
During WW2 the Nazis spent the modern day equivalent of 100 million usd to make a underground base in Poland which saw little to no use. Soon after building it they lost the war, and it is now one of the largest bat habitats in Europe. Image source: DoggoDoesASad#14
Image source: preflex, National Archives and Records Administration
The "S" in "Harry S. Truman" wasn't an abbreviation. The dude's middle name was literally just the letter S.
#15
Dana Carvey underwent heart bypass surgery for a blocked coronary artery, but the surgeon operated on the wrong artery. Eventually he won a lawsuit against the hospital and won 7.5 million dollars, all of which was donated to charity. Image source: walnutstampede#16
The native language of the volcanic island Manam Motu has no words for cardinal directions (North, East, West, South). Instead, it uses polar coördinates—with words meaning “towards the volcano”, ”towards the sea”, “clockwise around the volcano”, and “counterclockwise around the volcano”. Image source: kmatt17#17
Image source: gullydon, Coast Artists Inc.
During World War II, US comedian Redd Foxx dodged the draft by eating half a bar of soap before his physical, a trick that resulted in heart palpitations.
#18
Pirates and buccaneers sometimes engaged in "matelotage", a practice in which male couples would agree to share their incomes and inherit their partner's property in the case of their death. Image source: Kurma-the-Turtle#19
Image source: Simopop, NASA
Earth's magnetic field was approximately twice as strong in Roman times as it is now.
#20
Image source: CatPooedInMyShoe, Hulton Archive
In 1853, linguist and explorer Richard Francis Burton disguised himself as a Muslim and made the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca which is required of all Muslims. He later wrote a book about his experiences.
#21
Four of the last 7 Illinois Govenors have been jailed. Image source: FrontRowKate#22
Image source: CompetitiveNovel8990, German Federal Archive
Local Cretan resistance in WWII was so great that civilians would attack Axis paratroopers as they were landing with knives, axes, scythes and even their bare hands.
#23
Sugar isn’t directly bad for your teeth, but rather it creates the perfect environment for bacteria in your mouth to thrive, and they produce acid as a byproduct which IS bad for your teeth. Image source: chillmanstr8#24
Image source: No-Breadfruit1626, Please provide
There was case in US where a person failed to die during electric chair execution and then his lawyers tried to argue that he was not dead but he had been executed and that it was cruel to go through a second time.
#25
Image source: Jugales, Antoine Claudet
Near the end of her life, Ada Lovelace had a religious transformation and began to repent the conduct of her life. After confessing something to her husband 3 months before her death, he abandoned her bedside. It is not known what she told him.DE
Written by
Demilked Editorial
SaaS Review Specialist · Demilked
With 5+ years in the creator, entertainment, and publishing spaces, Demilked shortlists, reviews, and ranks leading tools that actually make your life easier.