45 ‘Today I Learned’ Facts That May Come In Clutch When Conversation Runs Dry

TIL that in 2022, 90% of complaints about Dublin Airport were from one person, who made over 23,000 complaints in one year

TIL in 2014 a 27-year-old man fell asleep in a hammock while camping in Kentucky. In the morning, his friends saw him get up & sleepwalk off a 60-foot cliff. However, a rhododendron bush actually broke his fall, therefore he had no life-threatening injuries. He didn't even know he was a sleepwalker.

TIL that George Carlin was a court-martialed Air Force Vet, Grammy-winning comedian, children's TV actor, and the 1st host of SNL. His arrest for performing the routine "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" placed him at the center of a landmark Supreme Court case, FCC v. Pacifica Foundation

TIL there was no film copyright law in Turkey until 1986, leading to films like "3 Giant Men" which featured Captain America and Mexican wrestler El Santo fighting against a chain-smoking Spider-Man villain, all to the ripped soundtracks of the James Bond movies.

TIL that many American churches once had bowling alleys in their basements, originally built as community spaces and loopholes to serve beer on Sundays. Fewer than 200 still exist today.

TIL that, as President of the New York City Police Commission, Theodore Roosevelt would regularly walk the city streets at night or in the early morning to make sure officers were on duty.

TIL they dropped millions of purpose-bred sterile flies from planes every week in Panama from the 1960s until 2022 to keep a flesh eating parasite from getting into the U.S. cattle supply.

TIL that Rabies can make wild animals behave in a way that seems tame, friendly or even affectionate towards humans. Animals with Rabies don't always seem rabid.

TIL the bubble style glass on pub windows not only offers privacy by distorting what's inside, but was sold cheaper as it was the last part in the process of blowing glass, perfect for establishments

TIL 29% of male gamers prefer playing female characters, whereas only 9% of female gamers prefer playing male characters. In a typical core PC/console game, about 60% of the female avatars you meet are played by a male player.

TIL personal or private helicopter flights in the US account for just 3% of helicopter flight hours, but more than 25% of fatal helicopter accidents.

TIL During the 1900 Galveston hurricane, at the Saint Mary’s orphanage, the 10 nuns tried to save 90 of the children by tying clothes lines around their own waists and each attaching themselves to several children. Only 3 older boys were left untied, and they would be the orphanage’s only survivors.

TIL the world's longest regularly scheduled nonstop flight (Singapore-NYC; 17,250 km) covers so much of the Earth that pilots can opt to fly the return flight westward over the Pacific, or eastward over the Atlantic and Europe depending on winds aloft, saving time and fuel

TIL that Lewis and Clark Expedition participant and War of 1812 veteran, Patrick Gass, had to be removed from a recruiting station after attempting to enlist in the Union Army to fight in the American Civil War at the age of 91.

TIL about the concept of 'digital dementia', a theory that excessive use of digital devices, such as smartphones, computers, and tablets, may lead to cognitive decline.

TIL, during a set at the 1995 US Open, tennis player Shuzo Matsuoka collapsed from severe cramping for several minutes and was defaulted for delaying the match. The incident led to a rule change in professional tennis to allow players to receive medical treatment during matches without forfeiting.

TIL a woman with prosopometamorphopsia had a history of seeing people's faces morph into dragon-like faces. After a few minutes, she'd see faces turn black, grow long, pointy ears & a protruding snout, & display a reptiloid skin & huge eyes in a bright color. Treatment eventually helped control it.

TIL about an Iranian translator named Zabihollah Mansouri, who on one hand became Iran's most famous translator, but on the other hand became known for liberally adding his own content into translations to the point of making up entire books

TIL coffee was all the rage in London in the 17th and 18th century until a fungus destroyed coffee plantations and forced the switch to tea in Sri Lanka

TIL 85% of all gaming revenue comes from free-to-play games. These games are free upfront and generate revenue through ads, in-game transactions, and optional purchases.