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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276
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TIL that Napoleon Bonaparte has no surviving legitimate descendants, but has descendants through his two illegitimate sons, Charles Léon and Alexandre Colonna-Walewski, and may have had other ille... (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/GhostMan4301945 on 2025-04-17 17:21:16+00:00.

Original Title: TIL that Napoleon Bonaparte has no surviving legitimate descendants, but has descendants through his two illegitimate sons, Charles Léon and Alexandre Colonna-Walewski, and may have had other illegitimate children.

277
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TIL that Rubies and Sapphires are all actually the same gemstone. Sapphires can come in all sorts of colors (even multiples at once), it's just that when it's red we call it a Ruby. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/TheLaVeyan on 2025-04-17 17:07:54+00:00.

278
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TIL doodling while listening, to tedious or boring information, may significantly help improve remembering it (onlinelibrary.wiley.com)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/sundler on 2025-04-17 16:28:56+00:00.

279
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TIL that the first recorded use of "OMG" was in a 1917 letter to Winston Churchill from Admiral John Arbuthnot Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher - decades before texting existed. (www.bbc.co.uk)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Upstairs_Drive_5602 on 2025-04-17 16:10:10+00:00.

280
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TIL about Walter Arnold, a British driver who became the first person to get charged for speeding on 28th January 1896. He was driving his car at 8 mph, four times the speed limit of 2 mph. (www.guinnessworldrecords.com)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/brainrooted on 2025-04-17 16:01:37+00:00.

281
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TIL about the Blue Diamond Affair in which approx 90 kg of Saudi Royal jewels were stolen by a Thai worker in 1989 that led to the deaths of several Saudi diplomats and businessmen in Thailand, so... (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/internet-junkie on 2025-04-17 14:48:22+00:00.

Original Title: TIL about the Blue Diamond Affair in which approx 90 kg of Saudi Royal jewels were stolen by a Thai worker in 1989 that led to the deaths of several Saudi diplomats and businessmen in Thailand, souring international relations for over 30 years.

282
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TIL about ERNIE, a device introduced by the UK government in 1957 to draw premium bond prizes. The original ERNIE used neon tubes and electrons to generate true random numbers and filled up an ent... (nsandi-corporate.com)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/brainrooted on 2025-04-17 13:38:00+00:00.

Original Title: TIL about ERNIE, a device introduced by the UK government in 1957 to draw premium bond prizes. The original ERNIE used neon tubes and electrons to generate true random numbers and filled up an entire room.

283
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TIL of The Ark, a ship hired in 1633 to bring 140 English colonists to the Province of Maryland. On it's trip over the Atlantic, wine was passed out to celebrate Christmas, resulting in 30 people ... (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/printial on 2025-04-17 13:25:31+00:00.

Original Title: TIL of The Ark, a ship hired in 1633 to bring 140 English colonists to the Province of Maryland. On it's trip over the Atlantic, wine was passed out to celebrate Christmas, resulting in 30 people falling ill with fever, and 12 people dying

284
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TIL that the infamous Pac-Man kill screen is caused by an overflow error causing the game to try and draw 256 pieces of fruit. However, the code then starts drawing random garbled pieces of memory... (techraptor.net)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/brainrooted on 2025-04-17 13:13:54+00:00.

Original Title: TIL that the infamous Pac-Man kill screen is caused by an overflow error causing the game to try and draw 256 pieces of fruit. However, the code then starts drawing random garbled pieces of memory, causing half the screen to get covered in random graphics that the game interprets as fruit.

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TIL Alan Turing was known for being eccentric. Each June he would wear a gas mask while cycling to work to block pollen. While cycling, his bike chain often slipped, but instead of fixing it, he w... (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/VegemiteSucks on 2025-04-17 13:13:44+00:00.

Original Title: TIL Alan Turing was known for being eccentric. Each June he would wear a gas mask while cycling to work to block pollen. While cycling, his bike chain often slipped, but instead of fixing it, he would count the pedal turns it took before each slip and stop just in time to adjust the chain by hand

286
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TIL that the longest hiccuping spree lasted 68 years. Charles Osborne, from the USA, hiccuped continuously from 1922 to 1990, totaling over 430 million hiccups. (www.guinnessworldrecords.com)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Able-Ground3194 on 2025-04-17 13:03:07+00:00.

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TIL the Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858 drew crowds of up to 16,000 people—even though they lasted three hours, with a 1-hour opening speech, a 90-minute rebuttal, and a 30-minute closing.The deba... (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/efthfj on 2025-04-17 12:46:22+00:00.

Original Title: TIL the Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858 drew crowds of up to 16,000 people—even though they lasted three hours, with a 1-hour opening speech, a 90-minute rebuttal, and a 30-minute closing.The debates were so popular that newspapers printed full transcripts.

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TIL Two candidates for the 1889 Paris Exhibition were a 300 meter high watering can - or guillotine. Instead the Eiffel Tower won out. (thegoodlifefrance.com)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/DEEP_HURTING on 2025-04-17 12:31:00+00:00.

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TIL that the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of Earth’s oceans, descends nearly 11 kilometers (about 36,000 feet) into complete darkness. Down there, temperatures are near freezing, and the press... (oceanexplorer.noaa.gov)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/voidinvelvet on 2025-04-17 10:18:42+00:00.

Original Title: TIL that the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of Earth’s oceans, descends nearly 11 kilometers (about 36,000 feet) into complete darkness. Down there, temperatures are near freezing, and the pressure is over 1,000 times greater than at sea level enough to crush most human-made submarines.

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TIL height surgery is a thing— (mostly) men are enduring months of pain, bone-breaking procedures, and intense rehab just to get a few inches taller. (www.dazeddigital.com)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/kos90 on 2025-04-17 09:38:12+00:00.

291
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TIL about Boanthropy is a psychological disorder in which a human believes themselves to be a cow. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/highaskite25 on 2025-04-17 09:11:41+00:00.

292
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TIL that most planes are painted white to save fuel and reflect sunlight keeping the plane cooler and reducing the need for air conditioning (www.popularmechanics.com)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/curlybabe666 on 2025-04-17 06:29:08+00:00.

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TIL that the UAE enforces and moniters traffic laws using AI driven cameras. Any violations results in a SMS giving either a fine or a warning (gulfnews.com)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Consistent-Bat-20 on 2025-04-17 03:44:39+00:00.

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TIL about endospores - bacteria that can lie dormant in permafrost for over 10,000 years (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/WatTheRockWasCookin on 2025-04-17 03:36:11+00:00.

295
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TIL before the modern ambulance, funeral homes used hearses to bring patients to the hospital. This is because the hearse was often the only vehicle long enough to fit a stretcher inside. (www.muscatineiowa.gov)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/DirtyDracula on 2025-04-17 02:20:01+00:00.

296
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TIL that in 1905, legendary pitcher Cy Young faced off against the notoriously free spirited but equally skilled Rube Wadell, with the game lasting 20 innings and Waddell’s team winning 4-2 (baseballhall.org)
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Mad_Season_1994 on 2025-04-17 00:24:31+00:00.

297
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TIL During the Cultural Revolution of 1960s China, the Forbidden City was renamed the “Palace of Blood and Tears” by the Red Guards. (www.cnn.com)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Ill_Definition8074 on 2025-04-16 23:35:24+00:00.

298
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TIL there exists an Italian exclave within Switzerland named Campione d’Italia. It is only one square mile in area and it houses Europe’s largest and oldest casino (www.bbc.com)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Boydasaurus10 on 2025-04-16 23:37:55+00:00.

299
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TIL about the use ofFinnish names in Ovamboland, Namibia, due to the historic work of Finnish missionaries. (en.wikipedia.org)
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/coldfarm on 2025-04-16 20:41:53+00:00.

300
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TIL Thailand declared war on the United States in 1942. However, the Thai ambassador to the United States refused to deliver the war declaration. As a result, the US simply ignored Thailand's decl... (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online
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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/RaccoonDoor on 2025-04-04 08:24:35+00:00.

Original Title: TIL Thailand declared war on the United States in 1942. However, the Thai ambassador to the United States refused to deliver the war declaration. As a result, the US simply ignored Thailand's declaration of war.

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