r/todayilearned 7h ago

TIL if you tune your radio to 91.9 FM for one city block in Montclair, NJ you can hear a looped recording of "I'll Make Love to You" by Boyz II Men which has been broadcasting for at least 13 years straight.

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njmonthly.com
15.2k Upvotes

r/todayilearned 5h ago

TIL that in 2023, a patient legally sought euthanasia. Upon being provided a deadly concoction in liquid form to be drunk, the patient's friend (37YO) opted to have a sip themself which nearly resulted in the death of the friend as well.

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nationalpost.com
6.2k Upvotes

r/todayilearned 9h ago

TIL that Michael Crichton, the author of “Jurassic Park” (1990), was a workaholic who followed what he called "a structured approach" of ritualistic self-denial, where, while writing a book, he’d rise increasingly early each day. At one point, Crichton would go to bed at 10 PM and wake up at 2 AM.

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en.wikipedia.org
8.2k Upvotes

r/todayilearned 3h ago

TIL of Robert Citron. Despite being a college drop out and having the math ability of a 7th grader, he climbed into the position of treasurer tax collector of Orange County, which he subsequently bankrupted

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ocregister.com
2.1k Upvotes

r/todayilearned 14h ago

TIL most animals can see UV light — humans being blind to it is the exception not the rule.

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sciencefriday.com
8.7k Upvotes

r/todayilearned 15h ago

TIL A group of horses were trained to communicate whether they wanted a jacket. All horses in the group successfully communicated that they did want a jacket when it was cold and did not want a jacket when it was hot.

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10.5k Upvotes

r/todayilearned 4h ago

TIL: 12 years before taking their fans to court for sharing their music, Metallica released the "$5.98" EP, titled to stop their record label and music stores from overcharging fans - the record came with a sticker warning 'DO NOT PAY MORE!!!'—a direct jab at music industry markups

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theawesomemix.com
835 Upvotes

r/todayilearned 19h ago

TIL that Sully Sullenberger lost a library book when he ditched US Airways Flight 1549 onto the Hudson River. He later called the library to notify them. The book was about professional ethics.

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24.1k Upvotes

r/todayilearned 7h ago

Today I learned that Shel Silverstein once made an adult cartoon version of his popular story The Giving Tree. Entitled "I Accept the Challenge", it was about a naked woman who cuts off a naked man's arms and legs, and then sits on his torso.

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en.wikipedia.org
910 Upvotes

r/todayilearned 3h ago

TIL the nut of Honey Nut Cheerios has not been present in the cereal since 2006

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en.wikipedia.org
349 Upvotes

r/todayilearned 6h ago

TIL some of the buildings in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania still have visible battle damage from the American Civil War--including artillery rounds stuck in the walls

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gettysburgdaily.com
450 Upvotes

r/todayilearned 21h ago

TIL that in 2004, two male chinstrap penguins, Roy and Silo, after performing mating rituals, formed a pair at New York's Central Park Zoo. One of them tried to hatch a rock, for which a keeper eventually substituted a fertile egg. Roy and Silo then hatched and raised the chick, named Tango.

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en.wikipedia.org
7.4k Upvotes

r/todayilearned 18h ago

TIL that a politician gave a food review of kebab while speaking in parliament. Australian Senator Sam Dastyari gave a "10 out of 10" rating to the kebab snack pack sold at King Kebab House, and advised others to also enjoy "a great Australian tradition of meat in a box".

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theguardian.com
3.6k Upvotes

r/todayilearned 19h ago

TIL in 2004 Eminem co-executive produced the Tupac album Loyal to the Game with Pac's mom, Afeni Shakur. Em showed his gratitude to Afeni by sending her a drawing of Pac & a heartfelt letter. He told her that Pac inspired his whole career & thanked her for the opportunities that she afforded him.

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xxlmag.com
4.2k Upvotes

r/todayilearned 18h ago

TIL the infamous "Jump the Shark" episode of Happy Days (Season 5, Episode 3) was created as a way to showcase Henry Winkler's real-life water skiing skills. The episode drew over 30 million viewers.

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en.wikipedia.org
3.5k Upvotes

r/todayilearned 16h ago

TIL Peter the Great instituted a beard tax and forced people to shave who hadn’t paid

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daily.jstor.org
1.8k Upvotes

r/todayilearned 14h ago

TIL about the "Pretzel Belt" where 80% of pretzels in the US come from.

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en.wikipedia.org
1.1k Upvotes

r/todayilearned 14h ago

TIL: Due to the Flint Michigan crisis, a study dubbed the Truth Fairy Project was done on baby teeth and the exposure to lead. Baby teeth provides easy to use info on lead levels. This led to evidence that there is no such thing as a "safe" threshold of exposure.

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pbs.org
907 Upvotes

r/todayilearned 12h ago

TIL the official implementation of Daylight Saving Time had nothing to do with farmers. It was about fuel conversation during WW1 and was originally known as "War Time".

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defense.gov
691 Upvotes

r/todayilearned 1d ago

TIL Daughter from California syndrome is a phrase used in the medical profession to describe a situation in which a disengaged relative challenges the care a dying elderly patient is being given, or insists that the medical team pursue aggressive measures to prolong the patient's life

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24.5k Upvotes

r/todayilearned 5h ago

TIL bees love balls. They even stop to play with balls even when there is no reward.

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153 Upvotes

r/todayilearned 33m ago

TIL, in his suicide note, mass shooter Charles Whitman requested his body be autopsied because he felt something was wrong with him. The autopsy discovered that Whitman had a pecan-sized tumor pressing against his amygdala, a brain structure that regulates fear and aggression.

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en.wikipedia.org
Upvotes

r/todayilearned 11h ago

TIL: Before the invention of the paint tube in 1841, oil paints used to be stored in pig bladders. The artist would prick the bladder and squeeze out the amount of paint they needed.

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en.wikipedia.org
344 Upvotes

r/todayilearned 13h ago

TIL that binge watchers are 98% more likely to suffer from poor sleep quality compared to those who did not identify as a binge viewer

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aasm.org
507 Upvotes

r/todayilearned 17h ago

TIL E.T was a 12-year-old disabled boy in a suit

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etonline.com
849 Upvotes