50 Surprising Facts From “Today I Learned” That Show How Little We Actually Know (New Facts)

One thing about knowledge is that it shouldn’t be gatekept. And onReddit’sToday I Learned community, it isn’t.Here, millions of people come together to share the most surprising, obscure, and fascinatingfactsthey’ve just discovered. Some change how we see the world, while others are simply entertaining—but all of them prove there’s always more to learn.So here’s your daily dose of curiosity. Keep the cycle going and pass your favorites along!This post may includeaffiliate links.

One thing about knowledge is that it shouldn’t be gatekept. And onReddit’sToday I Learned community, it isn’t.

Here, millions of people come together to share the most surprising, obscure, and fascinatingfactsthey’ve just discovered. Some change how we see the world, while others are simply entertaining—but all of them prove there’s always more to learn.

So here’s your daily dose of curiosity. Keep the cycle going and pass your favorites along!

This post may includeaffiliate links.

TIL about Andrew Carnegie, the original billionaire who spent 90% of his fortune creating over 3000 libraries worldwide because a free library was how he gained the education to become wealthy.

Elderly man with a beard seated in a library, embodying cool facts from history.

Man with a mustache in a leather jacket, standing in a dimly lit setting with blue light bars; today I learned facts theme.

TIL April 8th 1945 a prisoner at Buchenwald rigged up a radio transmitter and sent a message in a desperate attempt to contact the allies for rescue. 3 minutes after his message the US Army answered “KZ Bu. Hold out. Rushing to your aid. Staff of Third Army”. The camp would be liberated 3 days later.

50 Surprising Facts From “Today I Learned” That Show How Little We Actually Know (New Facts)

TIL ecologist Suzanne Simard wanted to know why the forest got sick every time the foresters k****d the birch trees, thought to harm fir trees. She discovered that birch trees actually pass nutrients to fir trees underground via a complex fungal network and were maintaining balance in the ecosystem.

50 Surprising Facts From “Today I Learned” That Show How Little We Actually Know (New Facts)

TIL After Joan of Arc was executed on charges of heresy, her mother spent 25 years clearing her name. She convinced the pope to reopen Joan’s case and attended the retrial despite being in her 70s and in poor health. The retrial ended with Joan’s complete acquittal.

Bronze equestrian statue of a historical figure in armor, located in a city square, highlighting cool historical facts.

TIL In Japan, the Johatsu, meaning “evaporated people”, choose to abandon their current lives - due to family strain, work pressure or any other reason. So-called ‘night moving’ companies help them disappear without a trace and start a new life somewhere else.

Man carrying stacked boxes up stairs, illustrating cool “Today I Learned” fact in action.

A person gently holding a baby outdoors, wearing a white shirt.

TIL that 11-year old Ted Danson and his friends chopped down a bunch of billboards around Flagstaff, AZ, because they obstructed views of nature. He was caught when his father, a museum curator, learned that billboards for the Museum of Northern Arizona were spared.

50 Surprising Facts From “Today I Learned” That Show How Little We Actually Know (New Facts)

Wildfire spreading across a mountain range at night, with intense flames and smoke illuminating the scene.

TIL George Washington decided to step down after two terms because he feared he might die in office and Americans would then view the presidency as a lifetime appointment.

50 Surprising Facts From “Today I Learned” That Show How Little We Actually Know (New Facts)

TIL Chef Boyardee’s canned Ravioli kept WWII soldiers fed and he became the largest supplier of rations during the war. When American soldiers started heading to Europe to fight, Hector Boiardi and brothers Paul and Mario decided to keep the factory open 24/7 in order to produce enough meals.

50 Surprising Facts From “Today I Learned” That Show How Little We Actually Know (New Facts)

TIL George Washington is the only U.S. president elected as an independent to date. Washington opposed the development of political parties.

50 Surprising Facts From “Today I Learned” That Show How Little We Actually Know (New Facts)

TIL about skeuomorphism, when modern objects, real or digital, retain features of previous designs even when they aren’t functional. Examples include the very tiny handle on maple syrup bottles, faux buckles on shoes, the floppy disk ‘save’ icon, or the sound of a shutter on a cell phone camera.

Assorted maple syrup bottles displayed on a wooden shelf with decorative labels.

TIL: Phossy Jaw used to be a common affliction among workers in the matchstick industry for decades which destroys the bones of the jaw. While the cause was linked to the use of white phosphorus within 5 years, it took almost a century of strikes, bans, and taxes to stop its use in the industry.

Person with cheeks puffed out, showcasing a unique facial feature. Cool fact from “Today I Learned” series.

TIL in 2000 a Mexican woman performed an hour-long C-section on herself with a kitchen knife after 12 hours of constant pain. After 3 attempts to cut open her abdomen, she made a 17cm vertical incision (a typical one is 10cm & horizontal). But despite no medical training, both mom & child survived.

Pregnant woman gently holding her belly, standing by a softly lit window, illustrating discovery moments.

TIL that ancient Rome had fast food restaurants called ‘thermopolia,’ where people bought hot meals on the go, much like modern takeout.

Ancient ruins showcasing old stone structures under a cloudy sky, highlighting fascinating historical facts.

TIL that in 1997 Mattel released Share a Smile Becky, a disabled Barbie doll, only to discontinue it when the wheelchair couldn’t fit through the front door of the Barbie Dreamhouse.

“Becky doll in wheelchair from the special edition, promoting inclusivity with a friendship necklace."

TIL that a US developer who outsourced his job to China for a fifth of his salary was repeatedly named as star employee before getting caught.

Person wearing headphones working on coding at a computer desk, in a minimalist office setup, exploring today I learned facts.

TIL After his lung cancer diagnosis, actor Yul Brynner wished to warn people against smoking. After his death, the american cancer society aired an ad with the actor saying: “Now that I’m gone, I tell you: just don’t smoke. If I could take back that smoking, we wouldn’t be talking about any cancer.”

TIL One of the early Spanish explorers of the American Southwest met a man who they called “the Turk”, who told them stories of rich lands to the east. He would later reveal that he made it up to draw them away from Pueblo civilizations so they would die of starvation in the plains.

TIL that when scientists transferred the gut microbiome of a schizophrenic human into mice, the mice started exhibiting schizophrenic-like behaviours.

TIL the 2022 Ignobel prize in economics went to a bunch of Mathematicians who proved, mathematically, that luck matters more than talent to achieve success.

TIL that a Swedish man survived in his car for 60 days, only drinking melted snow, after being snowed in with temperatures dropping as low as -30°C. However, due to the “igloo effect,” the insulation from the snow helped keep him alive.

Car driving on a snowy road through a forest, highlighting cool winter facts.

TIL that Great White Sharks across the Pacific Ocean consistently congregate at one specific spot in the Pacific Ocean. Scientists call this the White Shark Cafe.

TIL - Blind people who regain sight after years struggle to recognize objects because vision is learned, not automatic. They need to train their brain to actually see.

TIL that the first laws outlawing food coloring were in regards to bread. White bread was expensive and some bakers added chalk to lighten dark bread. King Edward I (1272-1307) created a law saying anyone caught using whiteners in bread would be put in the public pillory for one hour.

Cozy mid-century chair in a dimly lit room, showcasing a trendy interior design setting.

TIL the British Library must store one copy of every single book published in the UK and Ireland. It houses over 200,000,000 publications, adds 6 miles (9.65 km) of new shelf space a year, and receives over 8000 new publications daily.

TIL South Park aired an episode titled “Band in China”… which resulted in them being banned in China.

TIL the modern Oval Office was only created in 1934, and designed so that President Franklin D Roosevelt, who used a wheelchair, could move easily between the Office and the Residence.

TIL in 1940, when Paramount asked Fleischer Studios to created a Superman cartoon, Fleischer thought it would be too hard to make. In an attempt to avoid making the cartoon, they quoted four times the cost of an average cartoon for the budget ($100k). To their shock, Paramount agreed to the budget.

Superman cartoon poster featuring the superhero in action with text highlighting his arrival.

TIL in 2013 a woman went to pick up a friend in Brussels (less than 90 miles from her home), however because of a GPS error, she ended up in Croatia after driving 900 miles across five international borders. She realized she took a wrong turn two days after leaving. Her son had reported her missing.

Person in striped shirt using a touchscreen inside a car, showcasing today I learned tech.

TIL there were just 5 surviving longbows from medieval England known to exist before 137 whole longbows (and 3,500 arrows) were recovered from the wreck of the Mary Rose in 1980 (a ship of Henry VIII’s navy that capsized in 1545). The bows were in excellent finished condition & have been preserved.

TIL that some people are genetically gifted in that they can sleep for as little as 4 hours without suffering from daytime sleepiness or other consequences of sleep deprivation.

TIL the reason that purple has traditionally been associated with royalty was because, in Ancient Rome, the only source of purple was milking and fermenting the liquid from a snail. It took 12,000 snails to produce 1 gram of dye! This made the Caesars declare it their exclusive color.

TIL that a KGB agent and a CIA agent became friends while trying to recruit each other; they knew the other was a spy and just didn’t talk about it.

TIL in 2020 a woman took an online DNA test which showed a 22% match with a man who she’d eventually discover to be her still alive uncle, who was kidnapped in 1951 at the age of six & had been missing for 70 years. After he was abducted in Oakland, he was flown to the east coast & raised there.

TIL There was a Portuguese woman in early 18th century who disguised herself as a man and joined the army, fought in India and became captain of a fortress. She was found out when she asked the king for permission to marry a colleague.

TIL in 2010 Sam Ballard was drinking with several friends when he was dared to eat a slug that had begun to crawl across his friend’s concrete patio. After he ate it, he’d find out the infected slug had given him rat lungworm disease, which put him into a year-long coma & ultimately took his life.

TIL Tasmanian Devil’s give birth to between 30 and 40 offsprings but the mother only has four teats. The first four to attach to teats survive, the others perish.

Tasmanian devil in lush greenery showcasing fierce posture, highlighting cool facts about wildlife.

TIL Marcus Licinius Crassus, often called “the richest man in Rome,” formed the first fire brigade, saving burning buildings only if owners sold at a low price. Otherwise, he let them burn. The buildings would then be leased back to the former owners.

Ancient marble statue head displayed in a museum, showcasing classical Roman sculpture.

TIL a student wore the same pair of jeans 330 times over 15 months without washing them, then after washing them, wore them another 13 days. A textile scientist had tested the jeans for bacteria both after the 15 months (pre-wash) & after the 13 days. Little difference in bacterial count was found.

Person in blue jeans and a beige crop top with a tattoo, hand in pocket. Cool facts surrounding “Today I Learned."

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TIL that Samuel L. Jackson planned to become a marine biologist before becoming an actor. He is currently the highest-grossing actor of all time.

TIL Only 47 people live on the Pitcairn Islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Almost all of the residents are descendants of the mutineers of HMS Bounty, a British ship in 1790.

TIL that donations of used clothes are NEVER needed during disaster relief according to FEMA.

TIL that “court jesters” were often used to give bad news to the monarch that no one else would dare deliver. When the French fleet was destroyed at the Battle of Sluys, Phillip VI’s jester told him that the English sailors “don’t even have the guts to jump into the water like our brave French”.

TIL Thomas Edison’s son, Thomas Edison Jr was an aspiring inventor, but lacking his father’s talents, he became a snake oil salesman who advertised his scam products as “the latest Edison discovery”. His dad took him to court, and Jr agreed to stop using the Edison name in exchange for a weekly fee.

TIL that due to an agreement between the National Archives and Caroline Kennedy, the jacket Jackie Kennedy wore on the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated cannot be displayed in public until 2103.

TIL of safety razor slots. In the 1930s-50s some home bathrooms had slots built into their walls where people would insert used razor blades. Future renovations have found walls packed with hundreds of blades.

TIL: There was obesity in the Middle Ages, but the rich were expected to restrain themselves as fat people can’t become knights. However, Sancho I was a morbidly obese king who weighed 240 kg and couldn’t wield a sword, bed his wife, or walk. He was eventually expelled as he was too obese to rule.

TIL the T4 Program was a N*zi German euthanasia program that forcibly k**led the physically or mentally disabled, the emotionally distraught, elderly people and the incurably ill. The death toll may have reached 200,000 or more.

TIL of hyperforeignism, which is when people mispronounce foreign words that are actually simpler than they assume. Examples include habanero, coup de grâce, and Beijing.

TIL after Leona Helmsley did not pay her contractors that worked on her Connecticut home, she was investigated for tax evasion, and she received a 16 year sentence. During trial her housekeeper testified that Helmsley said “only the little people pay taxes.” She ended up serving 19 months in prison.

TIL - During the California gold rush of 1849, eggs were $3 each, not adjusted for inflation.