“Today I Learned”: 20 Riveting Facts That You Probably Hadn’t Heard Of Till Today

Just like we exercise the body, so too we must exercise the mind. Ongoing learning is one of the easiest ways to keep your mind active and sharp. Perhaps with that intent, over 32.7 million people follow a very interesting subreddit called, 'Today I Learned'.  This fascinating page shares curious facts that are unusual yet educative, such as that the youngest person to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's was at the youthful age of 19. So keep reading and stay active so you don’t end up with a lazy brain that struggles to remember words and ideas. 

#1 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.

Image source: TheQuietKid22, Samsung

#2 TIL that anxiety and depression can cause physical pain

Image source: Stormymoonglade, Partridge, Rondal

#3 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.

Image source: poleco1, RuthAS

#4 TIL that MIT will award a Certificate in Piracy if you take archery, pistols, sailing and fencing as your required PE classes.

Image source: jfamutah, Marie-Lan Nguyen

#5 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.

Image source: Comic_Book_Reader

#6 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"

Image source: f_GOD, Rafa Alvarez

#7 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.

Image source: Meo22p, Alfred Hessel and Reuben Peiss

#8 TIL ancient Greeks would irrigate battle wounds with vinegar and honey and then use spiderwebs to keep the honey in the wound

Image source: Tall_Cow2299, Bjørn Christian Tørrissen

#9 TIL Svalbard, Norway is the only visa-free zone in the world. Regardless of citizenship, anyone can live and work there indefinitely.

Image source: wes7946, Svalbard Global Seed Vault

#10 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)

Image source: firstpc13, Alexander Gardner

#11 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.

Image source: explowaker, NASA/JPL

#12 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.

Image source: sanandrios

#13 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

Image source: nialltg, John Chapple

#14 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.

Image source: calvins48, AP Photo

#15 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.

Image source: Lanky_Personality376, Unknown author

#16 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.

Image source: purplerainbowsrule, Life magazine images

#17 TIL the first telephone switchboard operators were boys, but their "rude and abusive" behavior led them to be replaced by young women.

Image source: Vektor0, Seattle Municipal Archives

#18 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.

Image source: Flares117, Madison Square Garden

#19 TIL the youngest person to ever be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease was only 19 years old, with initial symptoms beginning at 17.

Image source: coolguysamuel, Alzheimer's Research Association

#20 TIL that at least 4 billion people across the globe wear glasses, and 75% of adults worldwide rely on some sight correction product.

Image source: Moto_Rouge, wu yi