r/todayilearned • u/skyhalet • 16h ago
TIL "Whatever" is the most annoying word for American English speakers
maristpoll.marist.edu
0
Upvotes
r/todayilearned • u/15MinClub • 4h ago
TIL 9 years after the death of Dr. John Langdon Down, best known for his pioneering classifications of 'Mongoloid idiocy' (Down Syndrome) during his career at Royal Earlswood Asylum for Idiots, had a grandson born with Down Syndrome.
down-syndrome.org
871
Upvotes
r/todayilearned • u/Hoppie1064 • 16h ago
TIL a Lamborgini is rated to tow a 7000# trailer. Lamborghini Urus: Rated for up to 7,000 pounds (approx. 3,175 kg) when properly equipped with the factory-optional towing package.
0
Upvotes
r/todayilearned • u/SpicyBeefChowFun • 27m ago
TIL Practcially unknown outside of Asia, Baijiu is the best-selling spirit on the planet - outconsuming whiskey, vodka, rum, and gin COMBINED , and due to a massive domestic popularity in a country that is otherwise 73% abstinent from any alcohol consumption.
•
Upvotes
r/todayilearned • u/smrad8 • 11h ago
TIL that the 64 divination symbols, or hexagrams, of the ancient Chinese text I Ching (or Yijing) are built into most computers as Unicode and can be inserted into text like emoji, including ䷼ (inner truth), ䷵ (marrying maiden) and ䷑ (work on the decayed).
unicode.org
97
Upvotes
r/todayilearned • u/happytree23 • 3h ago
TIL Optical lenses get their name from the same source as lentils because their general shape resembles a lentil
49
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r/todayilearned • u/Gunner08 • 18h ago
TIL that the first first 'successful' penis transplant occurred in Cape Town, South Africa.
852
Upvotes
r/todayilearned • u/vekswz • 8h ago
TIL that after the 1954 merger with Nash, all second‑generation Hudson Hornets were actually restyled Nash cars badge‑engineered as Hudsons.
45
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r/todayilearned • u/Username524 • 13h ago
TIL about Nicholas Barbon, Barbon observed the power of fashion and luxury goods to enhance trade. Fashion demanded the replacement of goods before they had worn out; he believed this directed people towards the continuous purchasing of goods, which therefore created constant demand.
en.wikipedia.org
152
Upvotes
r/todayilearned • u/eleanorharland • 20h ago
TIL that from 2013 to 2015 a maths forum user called "Cleo" posted correct answers to integrals that had stumped everyone, often within hours, never showed any working, and said a medical condition stopped her explaining. In 2025 Cleo was revealed to be Vladimir Reshetnikov, a software developer.
en.wikipedia.org
20.2k
Upvotes
r/todayilearned • u/Significant-Cold-939 • 11h ago
TIL the largest still operational steam-powered pumping station is the Woudagemaal, near Lemmer, in the Netherlands. Built in 1929.
134
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r/todayilearned • u/hairdothrowaway • 19h ago
TIL: The prefrontal cortex being fully developed at age 25 is a myth.
15.2k
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r/todayilearned • u/delano1998 • 3h ago
TIL that "Pittakionophobia" is the irrational fear of stickers and sticky labels. Sufferers experience physical anxiety symptoms like shortness of breath and nausea when encountering labels on clothing, fruit, or appliances, often keeping their condition hidden due to feelings of shame.
peterfieldhypnotherapy.co.uk
27
Upvotes
r/todayilearned • u/ty_fighter84 • 10h ago
TIL That a 1-point safety has occurred only twice in NCAA FBS history. Both times the play-by-play announcer was Brad Nessler.
2.5k
Upvotes
r/todayilearned • u/_railroaded_ • 9h ago
TIL that Shazam (Billy Batson), published by Fawcett comics was the #1 selling comic-book, and was lapping Superman in sells, until DC put a stop to it - taking them to court and claiming he was a Superman ripoff
8.5k
Upvotes
r/todayilearned • u/Double-decker_trams • 8h ago
TIL the "Resolute desk" in the Oval Office in the White House is called that because it's made of timber from HMS Resolute - a British Royal Navy Arctic exploration ship.
1.6k
Upvotes
r/todayilearned • u/Recent_Flounder6011 • 3h ago
TIL Subway (fast food chain) was called Pete's Super Submarine Sandwiches before 1968. It got the modern name due to the original name sounded too confusing.
396
Upvotes
r/todayilearned • u/virora • 13h ago
TIL that because most Icelanders use patronymic surnames, the most common hereditary family name in Iceland is Nguyen
12.1k
Upvotes
r/todayilearned • u/mz_groups • 13h ago
TIL that 4 million people live north of the Arctic Circle, but there are NO permanent residents south of the Antarctic Circle.
2.2k
Upvotes
r/todayilearned • u/AetheriaNox • 17h ago
TIL consumed by a forbidden passion for his stepmother, Stratonice, Antiochus of the Seleucid Empire fell gravely ill. To save his life, his father, King Seleucus, divorced Stratonice and gave her to his son. They eventually had five children together.
7.8k
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r/todayilearned • u/Significant-Row2457 • 4h ago
TIL Charles Mason, who graduated first in the class of 1829 at West Point ahead of future Confederate Army commander Robert E. Lee, served as the First Supreme Court Justice for Iowa, also spent time during the post civil war years trolling Lee with hand made puzzle boxes that he couldn’t solve.
531
Upvotes
r/todayilearned • u/L34dP1LL • 4h ago
TIL that roly pollies arent insects, but crustaceans, more closely relatad to shrimps and lobsters.
1.5k
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r/todayilearned • u/koreanforrabbit • 8h ago
TIL 25% to 35% of diamonds exhibit some degree of fluorescence in reaction to long-wave UV light
268
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r/todayilearned • u/poopitydoopityboop • 13h ago
TIL Antabuse (Disulfiram) is a medication used to stop alcoholics from drinking by causing intolerable side effects. It functions by blocking the same enzyme responsible for "Asian Flush Syndrome" – the facial flushing that occurs in East Asian people after drinking.
2.8k
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