Today I learned 4 months ago

TIL (well, yesterday) that the song Red, Red Wine was originally written and sung by Neil Diamond, not UB40. #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mq8nml/til_well_yesterday_that_the_song_red_red_wine_was/

Today I learned 4 months ago

TIL that in Ancient Rome, urine was used as a cleaning product and even taxed by the government.

Smithsonian Magazine

From Gunpowder to Teeth Whitener: The Science Behind Historic Uses of Urine

Preindustrial workers built huge industries based on the liquid's cleaning power and corrosiveness--and the staler the pee, the better

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1morbpq/til_that_in_ancient_rome_urine_was_used_as_a/

Today I learned 4 months ago

TIL Peter Thiel became a New Zealand citizen in 2011 despite only spending 12 days in the country.

CNBC

Peter Thiel got New Zealand citizenship after spending 12 days there in five years

Tech investor Peter Thiel received New Zealand citizenship because of "exceptional circumstances" that would be in the public interest, new documen...

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mo59we/til_peter_thiel_became_a_new_zealand_citizen_in/

Today I learned 4 months ago

TIL the three toed sloth is an excellent swimmer. They can move 3x faster in water than on land, and can hold their breath for 40 minutes

Pod Volunteer

Read seven amazing facts about sloths | Pod Volunteer

Read our seven fascinating sloth facts, there is more to sloths than you might expect!

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mnwi07/til_the_three_toed_sloth_is_an_excellent_swimmer/

Today I learned 4 months ago

TIL Unit 731, the Japanese military's medical experimentation research facility in Harbin, China and other branches during WWII, had no surviving prisoners from the experiments and the leaders of the unit weren't prosecuted in exchange for the information they learned from their experiments

Unit 731 - Wikipedia

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mn0g35/til_unit_731_the_japanese_militarys_medical/

Today I learned 4 months ago

TIL Red bricks from St Louis are of very good quality, and brick thieves sometimes rip apart buildings to take their bricks.

St. Louis Magazine

St. Louis's Brick Thieves

If the story of the three little pigs has a moral, surely it’s that brick buildings are safe and enduring. That may be why the rash of brick ...

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mmpr41/til_red_bricks_from_st_louis_are_of_very_good/

Today I learned 4 months ago

TIL Despite how her work is often interpreted, Georgia O'Keeffe consistently denied that her artwork was meant to represent female genitalia, stating that "When people read erotic symbols into my paintings, they're really talking about their own affairs."

Georgia O'Keeffe - Wikipedia

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mmmzl1/til_despite_how_her_work_is_often_interpreted/

Today I learned 4 months ago

TIL traditional Haggis is banned in America for containing sheep lung. In 1971 it became illegal to consume lung. Haggis is no longer brought from UK to US. Haggis can still be made in USA, but not using sheep lungs.

Haggis - Wikipedia

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mm1wf0/til_traditional_haggis_is_banned_in_america_for/

Today I learned 4 months ago

TIL $2000 is not enough to have a proper job done in the assassination business #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mlx38p/til_2000_is_not_enough_to_have_a_proper_job_done/

Today I learned 4 months ago

TIL that the Gulf of Mexico is supposedly now “The gulf of USA” 😐- super late to this

Gulf of Mexico naming controversy - Wikipedia

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1ml87y8/til_that_the_gulf_of_mexico_is_supposedly_now_the/

Today I learned 4 months ago

TIL CEO Dan Price cut his $1.1M salary to $70K so all employees would earn at least that much. Critics called him a “socialist lunatic" and predicted the company would go bankrupt but the move paid off: Revenue tripled, employee turnover fell, workers paid off debt, bought homes and started families

The boss who put everyone on 70K

A tech boss introduced a $70,000 minimum salary for all his staff - by cutting his own wages. Five years, on he has no regrets.

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1ml4l89/til_ceo_dan_price_cut_his_11m_salary_to_70k_so/

Today I learned 4 months ago

TIL That the current 50-State U.S. Flag was designed by a 17 year old in 1958 for a high school project. The flag was submitted to the White House after the student was told he could raise his B minus on the project if the flag was accepted by the government.

National Flag Foundation

The High Schooler Who Designed The 50-Star American Flag - National Flag Foundation

While most of his high school classmates took a more conventional approach for their class project, Bob G. Heft decided to do something a little mo...

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1ml13ee/til_that_the_current_50state_us_flag_was_designed/

Today I learned 4 months ago

TIL From 1868 until 1913 in the US, 90% of all federal revenue came from taxes on liquor, beer, wine, and tobacco.

Fiscal Data Explains Federal Revenue

Check out @FiscalService Fiscal Data’s new federal revenue page! #FederalRevenue

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mjxlaw/til_from_1868_until_1913_in_the_us_90_of_all/

Today I learned 4 months ago

TIL that the monkey frequently on NBC’s Today Show in the 1950s and 60s, J. Fred Muggs, is still alive and living in obscurity in Florida.

J. Fred Muggs - Wikipedia

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mj0ekr/til_that_the_monkey_frequently_on_nbcs_today_show/

Today I learned 5 months ago

TIL "Edelweiss" is not the Austrian national anthem or even a folk song. It was written in 1959 for The Sound of Music.

Edelweiss (song) - Wikipedia

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1mbtnz4/til_edelweiss_is_not_the_austrian_national_anthem/

Today I learned 5 months ago

TIL about Williams Syndrome, a genetic condition that makes people more friendly and sociable aswell as soemewhat intellectually disabled and results in "elefin" facial features and a host of physical problems.

Williams syndrome - Wikipedia

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1m8bxh5/til_about_williams_syndrome_a_genetic_condition/

Today I learned 5 months ago

Til that Uranus (the planet) smells like farts.

ABC7 Los Angeles

Scientific study: Uranus smells like rotten eggs, sewage

A group of scientists published a study about the gases found in Uranus' atmosphere.

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1m861ss/til_that_uranus_the_planet_smells_like_farts/

Today I learned 5 months ago

TIL That Cop killer Donald Eugene Webb was on the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted list for longer than anyone else at the time, and never captured. Turns out the reason for that is his wife was secretly hiding him at her own house and after he died she buried him on her property.

Donald Eugene Webb - Wikipedia

#til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1m6aj5l/til_that_cop_killer_donald_eugene_webb_was_on_the/

Today I learned 5 months ago

TIL that Melbourne is 20km closer to Antarctica than is to Darwin Australia. https://www.ricklecouteur.com/post/melbourne-closer-to-antarctica-than-to-darwin #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1m243ch/til_that_melbourne_is_20km_closer_to_antarctica/

Today I learned 5 months ago

TIL the Star Spangled Banner has more lyrics than what we are ever taught and shown. https://starspangledmusic.org/the-star-spangled-banner-correct/ #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1m09iiy/til_the_star_spangled_banner_has_more_lyrics_than/