Today I Learned (TIL)

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You learn something new every day; what did you learn today? Submit interesting and specific facts about something that you just found out here.

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TIL about the Iron Ring Ceremony, where Canadian engineers are given a ring worn on the pinkie to remind them of their professional responsibility for safety. It began after two bridges collapsed ... (en.wikipedia.org)
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/wurl3y on 2025-04-22 21:33:21+00:00.

Original Title: TIL about the Iron Ring Ceremony, where Canadian engineers are given a ring worn on the pinkie to remind them of their professional responsibility for safety. It began after two bridges collapsed in 1907 and 1912.

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TIL that any baptized male is eligible to be Pope. In 236 AD, a spectator had a dove land on his head and he was immediately declared Pope (Pope Fabian) (en.wikipedia.org)
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/TouchEmAllJoe on 2025-04-23 01:41:43+00:00.

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TIL that Simpsons character Troy McClure’s surname was derived from IRL actor Doug McClure, whose daughters nicknamed him “Troy McClure” behind his back; he reportedly found the parody to be funny. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 48 minutes ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/al_fletcher on 2025-04-23 00:45:01+00:00.

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TIL that in 1844, Professor H. Booth claimed “from inhaling the odour of beef the butcher's wife obtains her obesity.” This was part of the 19th-century miasma theory, which linked diseases and we... (www.sciencemuseum.org.uk)
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Upstairs_Drive_5602 on 2025-04-22 23:59:50+00:00.

Original Title: TIL that in 1844, Professor H. Booth claimed “from inhaling the odour of beef the butcher's wife obtains her obesity.” This was part of the 19th-century miasma theory, which linked diseases and weight gain to inhaling “bad air” from rotting matter, influencing public health during cholera outbreaks.

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TIL about Pasuckuakohowog, a Native American sport vaguely similar to soccer, but played by teams of up to 500 players with goals a half mile wide and the field being a mile long (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 48 minutes ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/spikebrennan on 2025-04-22 23:50:19+00:00.

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TIL about Fish Doorbell, a Dutch livestream of a dam that allows viewers to click a bell to notify fish are ready to pass through (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 2 hours ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/ycr007 on 2025-04-22 22:08:54+00:00.

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TIL that Frida Kahlo had an affair with Leon Trotsky and painted a self-portrait for him, which she almost destroyed after his assassination (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 2 hours ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/thatoneguyfromva on 2025-04-22 21:09:34+00:00.

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TIL that Dirk Willems, a 16th-century Dutch Anabaptist, escaped prison but turned back to save the guard chasing him who fell through ice—an act of mercy that led to his recapture and execution. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 5 hours ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/MarzipanBackground91 on 2025-04-22 20:29:05+00:00.

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TIL Thai names are long and complex because each family has a unique surname restricted by blood, and descriptive first names are believed to have spiritual advantages. In parallel, Thais also hav... (www.babelstreet.com)
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Torley_ on 2025-04-22 17:12:38+00:00.

Original Title: TIL Thai names are long and complex because each family has a unique surname restricted by blood, and descriptive first names are believed to have spiritual advantages. In parallel, Thais also have short nicknames that are not derived from their legal names.

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TIL that in the Sundarbans mangrove swamps of Bangladesh and India, tigers kill up to fifty people a year, and the widows of men killed by tigers face cultural and religious ostracization, and are... (www.bangkokpost.com)
submitted 5 hours ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/paleocacher on 2025-04-22 18:32:18+00:00.

Original Title: TIL that in the Sundarbans mangrove swamps of Bangladesh and India, tigers kill up to fifty people a year, and the widows of men killed by tigers face cultural and religious ostracization, and are viewed as bad omens. Many are excluded from society to the point of having their children taken away.

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TIL that popes cannot be organ donors because their body becomes property of the church upon their death. This rule invalidated Pope Benedict’s organ donor card, which he had held since the 1970s. (www.theguardian.com)
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/JackThaBongRipper on 2025-04-22 18:00:34+00:00.

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TIL Eminem wrote 'Brain Damage' about his actual childhood bully, DeAngelo Bailey. Bailey boasted in an interview that he gave Eminem a concussion so bad, his ears bled and he lost his vision. He ... (en.wikipedia.org)
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/WeightLossGinger on 2025-04-22 17:49:23+00:00.

Original Title: TIL Eminem wrote 'Brain Damage' about his actual childhood bully, DeAngelo Bailey. Bailey boasted in an interview that he gave Eminem a concussion so bad, his ears bled and he lost his vision. He had also attempted to sue Eminem for slander in 2001. A judge dismissed the claim in the form of a rap.

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TIL Craig Mazin is now known for co-creating dramas like "The Last of Us" and "Chernobyl" and comedies like "Scary Movie 4", but he also wrote for "Dune: Part Two" and "Wicked", only being credite... (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 5 hours ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Torley_ on 2025-04-22 17:45:47+00:00.

Original Title: TIL Craig Mazin is now known for co-creating dramas like "The Last of Us" and "Chernobyl" and comedies like "Scary Movie 4", but he also wrote for "Dune: Part Two" and "Wicked", only being credited after the WGA revised their policy.

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TIL pilot error is a leading cause of airplane crashes. In 2004, it was cited as the primary reason for 78.6% of disastrous general aviation accidents. Some causes are fatigue, faulty memory, and ... (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 5 hours ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Torley_ on 2025-04-22 17:34:56+00:00.

Original Title: TIL pilot error is a leading cause of airplane crashes. In 2004, it was cited as the primary reason for 78.6% of disastrous general aviation accidents. Some causes are fatigue, faulty memory, and poor interpersonal communication. Using checklists has reduced risks over time.

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TIL that when Terry Fox's famous Marathon of Hope for cancer research entered Quebec he was hampered by locals continuously running him off the road. (en.wikipedia.org)
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/TheBanishedBard on 2025-04-22 16:37:11+00:00.

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TIL that all of the shots of the little island above Bikini Bottom in Spongebob Squarepants were filmed in Genndy Tartakovsky's pool (en.wikipedia.org)
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/TheThalmorEmbassy on 2025-04-22 16:36:34+00:00.

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TIL Marmalade is made with the Seville Orange, which are known for their sour and bitter taste. It’s a cross between the Mandarin and the Pomelo (an ancestor of the Grapefruit). (en.wikipedia.org)
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Torley_ on 2025-04-22 16:21:50+00:00.

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TIL that “keming” is a joke term for bad kerning - the spacing between letters - where poor kerning makes the “r” and “n” in “kerning” blend together, turning it into “keming.” Coined by designer ... (www.ironicsans.com)
submitted 10 hours ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Upstairs_Drive_5602 on 2025-04-22 10:01:41+00:00.

Original Title: TIL that “keming” is a joke term for bad kerning - the spacing between letters - where poor kerning makes the “r” and “n” in “kerning” blend together, turning it into “keming.” Coined by designer David Friedman in 2008, it’s a favourite inside joke among designers.

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TIL that, in 1967, Joseph Stalin's daughter briefly lived in East Berlin, Pennsylvania after defecting to the United States (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 10 hours ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Mr_BeardedBread on 2025-04-22 15:18:01+00:00.

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TIL Plants can sense light, touch, gravity, smell, sound, and even vibrations. They react using hormones and electrical signals—bending, blooming, defending, and adapting. Though brainless, they b... (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 10 hours ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/funkyflowergirlca on 2025-04-22 15:05:02+00:00.

Original Title: TIL Plants can sense light, touch, gravity, smell, sound, and even vibrations. They react using hormones and electrical signals—bending, blooming, defending, and adapting. Though brainless, they behave intelligently, responding to their environment in complex ways.

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TIL In Sri Lanka, divorce in any age group is statistically very rare. The primary reason for this is the challenge of establishing divorce grounds in court. (www.dailymirror.lk)
submitted 10 hours ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/charmer143 on 2025-04-22 12:49:32+00:00.

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TIL that Old London Bridge built in 1209, was the longest inhabited bridge in Europe. It housed 138 properties, including shops and homes, with up to five storeys. By the 17th century, traders lik... (www.historic-uk.com)
submitted 10 hours ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Upstairs_Drive_5602 on 2025-04-22 12:05:44+00:00.

Original Title: TIL that Old London Bridge built in 1209, was the longest inhabited bridge in Europe. It housed 138 properties, including shops and homes, with up to five storeys. By the 17th century, traders like haberdashers, glovers, cutlers, and grocers filled the bridge . It was dismantled in 1831.

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TIL Abraham Lincoln won the presidency in 1860 with just 39.7% of the popular vote - less than two out of five Americans voted for him. (wikipedia.org)
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/nosrettap25 on 2025-04-22 07:31:37+00:00.

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TIL Alarmed by the spread of Christianity, Roman Emperor Domitian sought and brought for questioning Jesus' grandnephews, the grandson's of his brother "by flesh". They claimed to own just one pie... (earlychurchhistory.org)
submitted 16 hours ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Ainsley-Sorsby on 2025-04-22 09:00:47+00:00.

Original Title: TIL Alarmed by the spread of Christianity, Roman Emperor Domitian sought and brought for questioning Jesus' grandnephews, the grandson's of his brother "by flesh". They claimed to own just one piece of land, which they worked by themselves, so Domitian let them go, deeming them insignificant

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TIL during the French Revolution, Notre-Dame was used as a warehouse and religious items were destroyed or removed (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 19 hours ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/jacknunn on 2025-04-22 06:00:43+00:00.

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