Interesting FactsJAN 16, 2025

“Today I Learned”: 30 Interesting And Weird Facts To Satisfy Your Curiosity (New Facts)

Evelina Šiukšterytė, Kornelija Viečaitė and Indrė Lukošiūtė

Learning new things is important if we want to live a long and fulfilling life. Acquiring new skills and performing activities such as puzzles and other brain games strengthens our neurological pathways and makes our brains age slower, helps prevent memory loss, and generally maintains our brain's health.

We here at Bored Panda are huge proponents of lifelong learning. That's why we've gathered another collection of the most interesting and weird fun facts from the TIL community on Reddit. So, sink your curious teeth into these little nuggets of information that over 39M people on the subreddit deemed worthy for you to see.

More info: Reddit

#21

World map with colorful pins marking intriguing facts from the Today I Learned community.

TIL Greenland is portrayed about 14x larger than its actual size on most maps.

ToodlesMcDoozle, Andrew Stutesman

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50points

User u/Blackraven2007 shared that Woodrow Wilson was the only U.S. president with a Ph.D. Interestingly, some U.S. presidents didn't attend college at all. They were mostly the early presidents, including George Washington, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, William McKinley, and Harry S. Truman.

#22

“Today I Learned”: 30 Interesting And Weird Facts To Satisfy Your Curiosity (New Facts)

TIL: Sally Hemings was 16 years old when she gave birth to her first child with 51 year old Thomas Jefferson.

FnkyTown, dailymail.co.uk

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50points

#23

Shiny black leather dress shoe with detailed stitching on a marble surface, illustrating interesting facts from community insights.

TIL of shell cordovan, a rare "leather" that isn't made from animal skin, but connective tissue from a horse's buttocks. Shoes made from them are waterproof, don't crease, don't require polishing, and can last indefinitely. Only two major tanneries make them.

zahrul3, Elcobbola

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47points

#24

TIL The U.S. Navy estimates that heavy barnacle growth on ships increases weight and drag by as much as 60 percent, resulting in as much as a 40 percent increase in fuel consumption.

Nuova, MichaelMaggs

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47points

Many restaurant owners think of getting a Michelin star as a major achievement. But, apparently, it can be more of a curse, as 40% of Michelin-awarded restaurants closed by the end of 2019. Daniel B. Sands of University College London, who examined this phenomenon, said that it depends on how restaurants respond to such third-party rankings. "If there are positive effects—capture value from them. And if there are negative effects or potential negative consequences, [be sure] that you're able to mitigate them."

#25

Blue Honda minivan parked on a tree-lined street, showcasing intriguing facts about everyday cars.

TIL of Kyle Plush, a 16 year-old teen who died a slow death while being crushed by the third-row seat of a Honda Odyssey. While in that position, he managed to call 911 twice using SIRI, but emergency dispatchers couldn't locate him, and he was found dead by his dad 6 hours later.

zahrul3, peterolthof

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45points

#26

TIL that 1 in 20 people who take commercial DNA tests like those offered by ancestry.com discover that one of the people they thought was their biological parent is actually not their biological parent.

thebadguy7772, CDC

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43points

#27

Campus view with historical architecture and greenery, showcasing intriguing facts from the "Today I Learned" community.

TIL Stanford University rejected 69% of the applicants with a perfect SAT score between 2008-2013.

tyrion2024, Robert Gareth

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42points

Crop circles inspire many conspiracy theories, but who would've thought that they're the result of s****d wallabies running around? Interestingly, people have reported seeing sheep walk around in circles as well after they've accidentally eaten poppies. And here's another fun fact about these mini kangaroos: although they are super cute, they are considered invasive pests in New Zealand, and the Department of Conservation is working hard to eradicate them.

#28

TIL when Jimi Hendrix’s mom died (when Jimmy was 16) his dad did not allow him and his brother to go to the funeral, instead giving them shots of whiskey and telling them that was how men should deal with loss.

Texas_Rockets, unknown

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37points

#29

A man in a dark suit and tie, providing intriguing facts from the "Today I Learned" community.

TIL Presiden Lyndon B. Johnson called his big johnson “Jumbo” and would show it to journalists and members of congress to show he was bigger than them. He also peed on a Secret Service agent just to prove he could get away with it.

TacoMedic, Arnold Newman

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29points

#30

Urban road with green grass and trees, featuring a wire mesh fence, illustrating intriguing facts from the community.

TIL that in 2007 on a trip to Paris, Prince Harry had his driver go through the same tunnel his mother Princess Diana died in at the same speed her car was going at the time, in an attempt to find closure for her death. He described the attempt as ill-conceived, saying it only brought him more pain.

astarisaslave, Erik1980

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20points

Well, that's it for this iteration of interesting and fun facts, Pandas. Which ones intrigued you the most? Tell us in the comments! And if you have a fun fact of your own or know more interesting info about one from our list, share your knowledge with us below. And if you're looking for more weird and cool facts, head over here, here, or here!

Evelina ŠiukšterytėAuthor

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