Albert Einstein once said that “intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death,” reminding us of the importance of learning and improving throughout our lives. However, with millions of things going on daily, it can be hard to reserve some time to educate ourselves on something new.
To help with that, we have a list of fresh facts from the ‘Today I Learned’ subreddit. They’re guaranteed to pique your curiosity and who knows, they may even lead you to a rabbit hole of new knowledge. To find these amazing facts, all you have to do is scroll down!
While you're at it, don't forget to check out a conversation with mindset psychologist Dr. Rebekah Wanic, who kindly agreed to share a few tips on how to find motivation for learning.
#41
TIL the last Blockbuster in Bend, OR is still open, makes 80% of it’s income from merchandise, and has to buy its movies from Walmart and Target because DVD vendors have minimum orders far too large for their store.
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46points
#42
TIL that First Lady of the United States does not have to be the President’s wife and other women have held the title when the President was a widower or single. Most commonly a daughter, niece, or sister of the President.
46points
#43
TIL Arnold Schwarzenegger was the first civilian in the United States to purchase a Humvee military vehicle. He loved it so much that he pushed its manufacturer to develop a street-legal, civilian version, which was released in 1992 as the Hummer H1.
42points
#44
TIL in 2008 a 20-year-old Belgium student died after reheating and eating leftover spaghetti that had been left out on the kitchen counter for five days. A bacteria called bacillus cereus was found to be the cause, which is an extreme type of food poisoning called “Fried Rice Syndrome”.
40points
#45
TIL that Warren Buffett earned over 99% Of his net wealth after the age of 56.
38points
#46
TIL a finance worker was scammed for $25 Million through a Deepfake video conference. The worker thought he was on a call with multiple of his colleagues (who he recognised) and the company's CFO, but all of them were fake.
37points
#47
TIL Henry, a Cardinal and Grand Inquisitor of the Catholic Church unexpectedly inherited the throne of Portugal when he was 65 years old. He petitioned the Pope to release him from his vows so he can marry and produce an heir, but his request was refused
36points
#48
TIL William Shatner told Star Trek fans to "get a life". In a 1986 'Saturday Night Live' skit, the actor tells obsessed fanboys "it's just a TV show!" The SNL segment accurately portrayed Shatner's feelings about Trekkies, who had unrelentingly pestered him since the original 1960s 'Star Trek'.
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35points
#49
TIL that Set, the ancient Egyptian god of chaos, is depicted with the head of an animal that is consistently rendered but bears a resemblance to no known creature. The, "set animal," is also sometimes depicted sitting or standing in fully animal form.
35points
#50
TIL in 1985 Michael Jackson bought the Lennon–McCartney song catalog for $47.5m then used it in many commercials which saddened McCartney. Jackson reportedly expressed exasperation at his attitude, stating "If he didn't want to invest $47.5m in his own songs, then he shouldn't come crying to me now"
25points
