20 Random Fun Facts From “Today I Learned” Online Community (New Facts)

Knowledge-sharing platforms have become a treasure trove of fascinating and sometimes downright bizarre information. One such online community that stands out is “Today I Learned” or TIL. This platform serves as a digital gathering place where users share intriguing tidbits they’ve stumbled upon, leading to a collection of captivating, educational, and sometimes eyebrow-raising fun facts.

#1

Image source: JM1210, atluxity

TIL the biohazard symbol didn’t symbolize or refer to anything originally. It’s simply a shape that was picked as being symmetrical, hard to mistake, and easy to remember

#2

Image source: Double-decker_trams, Mike Bird

TIL 98% of passengers involved in vehicle crashes in Dubai were not wearing seat belts

#3

Image source: Gapplesauce37, Pixabay

TIL the humming noise produced by electricity is a different tone in Europe than it is in the US. The American electrical hum is a B-flat whereas the European electrical hum is a G

#4

Image source: Chewbock, Vlada Karpovich

TIL toilet paper wasn’t “splinter free” until the 1930’s

#5

Image source: Technical-Split3642, lensletter

TIL; “Hello” came to prominence as a greeting with the invention of the telephone

#6

Image source: RedditPrat, Unknown author

TIL that Adolphe Sax, the son of instrument designers, was prone to accidents. As a kid, he fell from a 3-story height, drank acidic water he mistook for milk, swallowed a pin, fell into a frying pan, was burned in a gunpowder blast, and fell into a river. He grew up to invent the saxophone.

#7

Image source: DwightKSchrute007, Liza Summer

TIL Women’s shirt buttons are on the left-hand side because wealthy women used to be dressed by their maids and it was easier to access.

#8

Image source: casualphilosopher1, Perminov, The Difficult Road to Mars

TIL that the Soviet space probe Phobos-2, , designed to explore Mars’ moons, failed because 2 of its 3 computers died, and since it used a system where the computers voted on any decision, the 1 healthy computer was unable to outvote 2 dead computers

#9

Image source: ikilledmypc, Chad Davis

TIL due to efficient recycling processes, 75% of all aluminium produced world wide is still in use today

#10

Image source: breadlof, Commonists

TIL that Ancient Romans added lead syrup to wine to improve color, flavor, and to prevent fermentation. The average Roman aristocrat consumed up to 250μg of lead daily. Some Roman texts implicate chronic lead poisoning in the mental deterioration of Nero, Caligula, and other Roman Emperors.

#11

Image source: VegemiteSucks, Richard Mortel

TIL that the least obese country in the world is Vietnam. Its obesity rates stands at only 2.1%, which is lower than Uganda (5.3%), and significantly lower than the U.S. (41.9%)

#12

Image source: sanandrios, Amina Filkins

TIL Emma Gibson, frozen as an embryo in 1992, was born in 2017 to a mother born in 1991.

#13

Image source: _c4rdinal, Marcin Jozwiak

TIL that Brooke Greenberg, who died in 2013, had ‘Syndrome X’, which made her remain physically and cognitively similar to a 1 year old, despite being 20 years old at the time of her death.

#14

Image source: RiseDarthVader, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

TIL that Edward Teller, the physicist who advocated for Oppenheimer to lose his security clearance suggested using nukes to create artifical harbours, fracking oil and preventing hurricanes

#15

Image source: gnome512, Official Pink Panther

TIL That the Pink Panther cartoon show was created due to the success of the character in the opening credits of the Pink Panther films

#16

Image source: peezle69, Gage Skidmore

TIL Charles Manson hypnotized Danny Trejo when they were in jail together.

#17

Image source: astarisaslave, Gage Skidmore

TIL that when Will Smith was 12 his grandmother found his notebook of rap lyrics with curse words and wrote a note in it telling Will that truly smart people do not have to curse when expressing themselves. As a result he resolved not to use profanity in his music.

#18

Image source: mankls3, Mike Mozart

Til Americans have accumulated $21 billion Worth of unused gift cards. Almost 2/3 of people have a card and half of those will likely lose the gift card before using it

#19

Image source: LandscapeKind4598, William Brigham

TIL that priest Father Damien worked in Hawaii for 16 years, providing comfort to the lepers. He built homes and he treated lepers with his medical expertise. He prayed and comforted the dying. He later contracted leprosy but continued to give to the people and helped improve an orphanage.

#20

Image source: NamelessMexican, IMDb

TIL Carrie Fisher’s ashes were placed inside a giant Prozac Pill