"Today I Learned", often shortened as TIL, is an online expression typically used in the title of a post or thread when introducing an interesting fact or trivia that had been previously unknown to the poster, in a similar way to the phrase "did you know?".
Bored Panda already introduced you to the concept when we covered the "Today I Learned" subreddit with nearly 24 million members. But TIL posts are all over the Internet not just Reddit, so why stop there? This time, we put together a list of some of the best "Today I Learned" trivia gems we could find online, so get your notebooks out and enjoy.
#22
TIL that Alan Alda met his wife of over 60 years at a dinner party when they were the only two guests who ate the rum cake after it fell on the kitchen floor.
Report
304points
#23
TIL Harry Houdini wanted to prevent people from copying his "Chinese water torture cell" trick, but didn't want to patent it, as that would require explaining how it works. So he gave a performance of the trick as a one-act play before an audience of one, and then filed for a copyright on the play
Report
294points
#25
TIL The formal clothing of the Roman Citizen was the Toga. During Roman elections, those running for political office would rub their Toga with a dazzling white chalk to stand out. Called Toga Candida (pure-white) this clothing was the origin of the word "candidate".
Report
287points
#26
TIL Chris Evans turned down the Captain America role multiple times because of Anxiety, fear of a 10-movie commitment and the public spotlight. He went to therapy before taking the role
Report
287points
#27
TIL: 44% of adults have held on to their childhood teddies and dolls, and as many as 34% of adults still sleep with a soft toy every night
Report
286points
#28
TIL wild orangutans use medicinal plants to sooth joint and muscle inflammation. The apes chew leaves of the Dracaena cantleyi plant to create a white lather, which they then rub onto their bodies. Local indigenous people also use the plant for the same purpose.
Report
285points
#29
TIL the red stuff dropped from airplanes to put out forest fires also acts as a fertilizer.
Report
277points
#30
TIL of Miguel Wattson, an electric eel from Tennessee with its own Twitter account. Whenever he discharges a large enough jolt, a tweet will be automatically send out to his account EelectricMiguel. Apart from sending tweets, he also helps power up Christmas trees at the aquarium.
Report
270points
#32
TIL in 1506, a 1000+ year old statue was unearthed. The main figure, Laocoön, was missing an arm. The pope commissioned a contest to find who would recreate the missing arm best. Michelangelo's version lost. In 1906 the original arm was found and in nearly the exact pose Michelangelo had sculpted.
Report
264points
#34
TIL in 2007, 33-year-old Steve Way weighed over 100kg, smoked 20 cigarettes a day & ate junk food regularly. In order to overcome lifestyle-related health issues, he started taking running seriously. In 2008, he ran the London Marathon in under 3 hours and, in 2014, he set the British 100 km record
Report
259points
#37
TIL - A man suffering from gastrointestinal distress in a Kansas Home Depot mens room provided a friendly warning to other bathroom goers by saying: “You need to get out of here because I’m fixin’ to blow it up.” Police were called on suspicion of a bomb threat. No charges were laid.
Report
221points
#38
TIL The Tollund Man, who lived during the 4th Century BC, was so well preserved on discovery that that he was mistaken for a recent murder victim. His internal organs were intact; it was concluded that his last meal was porridge consisting of 40 kinds of seeds, eaten 12 to 24 hours before his death.
Report
215points
#40
TIL that when future US President Lyndon B. Johnson was Senate majority leader, he instructed his staff to make his scotch and soda significantly weaker than his guest’s, so that he could keep a clearer head
Report
206points
Reading about unique and narrow homes can truly spark a curiosity about some of the world's most interesting properties.
If you're fascinated by innovative home designs, you might want to take a look at the thinnest house in London. Its ingenious utilization of space is nothing short of remarkable, inviting you to explore the creativity within residential architecture and how it challenges conventional norms.