Today I Learned (TIL)

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TIL in 1939, Singer, the sewing machine company, produced 500 extremely high quality 1911 Pistols as an educational study for the DoD. It was the highest quality production of the entire war effort. (sightm1911.com)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Germerica1985 on 2025-06-01 06:50:53+00:00.

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TIL It's suspected that the last word in the English dictionary (zyzzyva) was intentionally crafted to be at the end. Irish entomologist Thomas Casey named a newly discovered species of beetle wit... (www.denverpost.com)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/msief on 2025-06-01 05:02:01+00:00.

Original Title: TIL It's suspected that the last word in the English dictionary (zyzzyva) was intentionally crafted to be at the end. Irish entomologist Thomas Casey named a newly discovered species of beetle with no etymological roots.

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TIL wireless operator jack Phillips of the rms Titanic did the best he could As the ship sank to contact other ships for assistance. He would not survive the sinking and his body, if recovered, wa... (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Ok_Being_2003 on 2025-06-01 04:56:14+00:00.

Original Title: TIL wireless operator jack Phillips of the rms Titanic did the best he could As the ship sank to contact other ships for assistance. He would not survive the sinking and his body, if recovered, was not identified. His actions saved many lives that night. He was only 25 years old.

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TIL there are labor unions for gravediggers, and sometimes they go on strike. (proteanmag.com)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/twothirtysevenam on 2025-06-01 03:49:10+00:00.

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TIL that Australia was the only the third country to launch a satellite from it own soil. Behind only the USSR and the US (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/djsneisk1 on 2025-06-01 02:06:40+00:00.

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TIL about 'Big Bertha', one of the smartest confidence women in America. Her scams were ingenious. (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Front_Requirement598 on 2025-05-31 23:33:34+00:00.

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TIL the U.S. secretly made a clear version of Coca-Cola for a Soviet general after WWII so he could drink it without looking pro-capitalist. Dubbed “White Coke,” it looked like vodka and came in u... (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/therealstotes on 2025-05-31 22:33:29+00:00.

Original Title: TIL the U.S. secretly made a clear version of Coca-Cola for a Soviet general after WWII so he could drink it without looking pro-capitalist. Dubbed “White Coke,” it looked like vodka and came in unmarked bottles with red star caps to fool Soviet officials.

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TIL Jason Brown, former NFL player, walked away from a 5-year, $37m deal to become a farmer. He maintains a 1,000-acre farm where he grows produce such as sweet potatoes and cucumbers. He donates ... (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/-AMARYANA- on 2025-06-01 00:12:42+00:00.

Original Title: TIL Jason Brown, former NFL player, walked away from a 5-year, $37m deal to become a farmer. He maintains a 1,000-acre farm where he grows produce such as sweet potatoes and cucumbers. He donates these crops to local food pantries in need.

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TIL at the peak of Davy Crockett merchandise sales, with 5,000 racoon skin caps being sold a day, the price of raccoon fur jumped from 25 cents a pound to $8. (www.latimes.com)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/nuttybudd on 2025-05-31 22:43:16+00:00.

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TIL China currently operates 69% of all High Speed Rail in existence, stretching 4600km from the far west of the country (Kashgar Prefecture) to its eastern-most city (Fuyuan). The next-highest is... (worldpopulationreview.com)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/me_myself_ai on 2025-05-31 22:32:08+00:00.

Original Title: TIL China currently operates 69% of all High Speed Rail in existence, stretching 4600km from the far west of the country (Kashgar Prefecture) to its eastern-most city (Fuyuan). The next-highest is Spain, with only 6%.

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TIL Penn Jillette holds a patent for the "Jill-Jet", a hot-tub jet specially angled for a woman's pleasure. (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/LoganSargeantP1 on 2025-05-31 22:17:31+00:00.

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TIL that in 2023 actress Olivia Hussey and her Costar Leonard Whiting sued Paramount for 500 million dollars, alleging that Romeo and Juliet, filmed 55 years previously, was child pornography. (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/TheBanishedBard on 2025-05-31 21:58:52+00:00.

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TIL ancient British law says any man who sleeps with the Princess Royal before marriage commits high treason. This is a lifetime title bestowed, not inherited, by the monarch on their eldest daugh... (www.townandcountrymag.com)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Butwhatif77 on 2025-05-31 21:23:24+00:00.

Original Title: TIL ancient British law says any man who sleeps with the Princess Royal before marriage commits high treason. This is a lifetime title bestowed, not inherited, by the monarch on their eldest daughter. The eldest daughter of a new monarch must wait until the previous holder dies, to be granted it.

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TIL of Nishiyama onsen keiunkan, the longest running inn, founded over 1300 years ago (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Kn1ghtV1sta on 2025-05-31 20:48:13+00:00.

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TIL World Taekwondo Federation changed their name in 2017 to void acronym WTF (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Lelehu on 2025-05-31 20:37:00+00:00.

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TIL that the Indian subcontinent used to be the largest economy of any region in the world between the 1st and 18th centuries (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/kalni on 2025-05-31 20:36:01+00:00.

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TIL Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators, used to power Voyager 1 since 1977, were also used to power the Mars Perseverance rover, launched in 2020 and still active on Mars today. (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/MindQuieter on 2025-05-31 19:31:11+00:00.

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TIL that it would take roughly 24 seconds to fall from the highest point in Grand Canyon to the Colorado River. (calculator.academy)

submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/FuriousScribbling on 2025-05-31 15:46:22+00:00.

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TIL old batteries contained cadmium, a toxic heavy metal. These batteries should not be disposed of in regular household trash at the end of their life. (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Jealous-Afternoon802 on 2025-05-31 15:31:21+00:00.

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TIL that boxers have the shortest lifespan among athletes (www.disabled-world.com)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/BenChoopao on 2025-05-31 15:23:42+00:00.

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TIL Canada's deadliest terror attack, the 1985 Air India Flight 182 bombing, killed 329 people. Multiple warnings from informants including recorded audio detailing the bombing plan were mishandle... (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Soupdeloup on 2025-05-31 15:08:16+00:00.

Original Title: TIL Canada's deadliest terror attack, the 1985 Air India Flight 182 bombing, killed 329 people. Multiple warnings from informants including recorded audio detailing the bombing plan were mishandled by authorities, leading to only one person being sentenced to 5 years in prison.

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TIL Italy used to be the 4th largest economy on Earth in 1991, behind only the USA, Japan and Germany, however unsustainable budget deficits and massive public debt eventually caught up to them, f... (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Bossitron12 on 2025-05-31 14:36:47+00:00.

Original Title: TIL Italy used to be the 4th largest economy on Earth in 1991, behind only the USA, Japan and Germany, however unsustainable budget deficits and massive public debt eventually caught up to them, flatlining their economic growth

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TIL that crying can boost your mood. Cortisol (a stress hormone) is concentrated in tears. Emotional tears (sadness, anger, or joy) contain higher levels of stress hormones & natural pain-reli... (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/todayilearned@lemmit.online

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/Upstairs-Bit6897 on 2025-05-31 12:48:43+00:00.

Original Title: TIL that crying can boost your mood. Cortisol (a stress hormone) is concentrated in tears. Emotional tears (sadness, anger, or joy) contain higher levels of stress hormones & natural pain-relieving substances than basal tears (eye lubricant). So, when in stress, you can literally cry it out

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TIL of the horse Comanche, the only horse to make it back from the Battle of Little Bighorn, despite being gravely wounded. (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/raresaturn on 2025-05-31 12:09:33+00:00.

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TIL before her title fight, former boxing world champ Rola El-Halabi was shot by her stepfather (and manager) in the hand, knee, and both feet over her relationship with a married Greek man. (en.wikipedia.org)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/garrthes on 2025-05-31 08:01:39+00:00.