Curiosity might’ve gotten the cat, but for humans, it’s basically a survival skill. One random fact can turn into a three-hour rabbit hole, a brand-new hobby, or that one line that makes you the most interesting person at dinner.
Good news is that you don’t have to go digging for this stuff. The crowd at r/todayilearned does it for you, dropping facts so good they deserve way more than a scroll-past. This list rounds up some of the best.
Find out what wild animals in the African savanna fear the most, and learn about the fascinating history of coffee readings. Whether you’re a science nerd, a history buff, or just love super niche trivia, this list has a little something for everyone.
#81
TIL that in 1921, over 10,000 armed West Virginia coal miners fought coal company forces in the Battle of Blair Mountain. After nearly a week of fighting, President Warren G. Harding sent U.S. troops, including aircrafts, to end the largest armed uprising in the U.S. since the Civil War.
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10points
#82
TIL the 1980 Winter Olympic Village was built with the intention of converting it into a federal prison after the games ended. Multiple Olympic delegations refused to house their Olympians there.
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9points
#83
TIL that none of the five boroughs of New York have a Walmart store, despite its many attempts to enter the city. However, NYC has many Target and Costco locations.
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8points
#84
TIL that E.L. James, author of the "Fifty Shades of Grey" trilogy, began the first book as a Twilight fanfiction and wrote a significant portion of the text on her BlackBerry.
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7points
#85
TIL that Apple does not own the trademark for iOS. Apple licenses the trademark from Cisco, who owns the trademark for their operating system that runs on their network infrastructure equipment.
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7points
#86
TIL Megan Fox met Brian Austin Green in 2004 when she was 18 and he was 30. They engaged in 2006, broke off their engagement in 2009, reunited and married in 2010, separated in 2015, reconciled in 2016, dismissed their divorce in 2019, split again in 2020 and divorced in 2021. They have three sons.
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4points