dDBPd TIL teddy bear is named after a US president Teddy Theodore Roosevelt
KYpa4 TIL that while on the Aventine Hill in Rome, one can look through a keyhole of the Magistral Villa of the Order of Malta and see St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Thus through this keyhole one can see 3 sovereign territories.
a8lXy TIL $150,000 worth of Star Trek TNG outfits were stolen off the Paramount lot in 1990. The thief was found attempting to trade the outfits for a replica K.I.T.T car.
Zp6nQ TIL that in the 2004 tsunami, an oral tradition called "smong" on Simeulue Island told residents to run to the hills if the sea receded after an earthquake. 7 of 78,000 people died. On the mainland 60km away, where the tradition had been lost, over 170,000 were killed.
78X9X TIL that when Ringo Starr became ill prior to the Beatles' 1964 tour, session drummer Jimmie Nicol was quickly hired as a replacement. From getting the call to performing in front of 4500 fans it was 27 hours. He played 8 shows total and was gifted $500 ($14,638 in 2026) and an engraved gold watch.
kJKEE TIL about BIRGing. Basking in reflected glory (BIRGing) is a self-serving cognition whereby an individual associates themselves with known successful others such that the winner's success becomes the individual's own accomplishment.
EgaB7 TIL James Naismith – the INVENTOR of basketball – was the college coach of Phog Allen, who was the college coach of Dean Smith, who was the college coach of Michael Jordan and Vince Carter, who retired in 2020
Y754d TIL about the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. A religious order of the Catholic Church that possesses no national territory but is considered a sovereign entity under international law. It maintains diplomatic relations with 115 states, enters into treaties, and issues its own passports.
Bgkle TIL that PayPal's User Agreement legally allows them to hold your funds for up to 180 days if your account is flagged for review - with no obligation to explain why
rNvoM TIL the use of mild electric stimulation to relieve pain was first described by the Roman physician Scribonius Largus, who touted the benefits of standing on electrified fish to relieve the pain of gout
NXDo6 TIL Thomas Midgley Jr. invented both leaded gasoline and CFCs. He's been called the person who 'had more impact on the atmosphere than any other single organism in Earth's history.' He later contracted polio and built a pulley system to get out of bed, which strangled him to death.
l7dka TIL about Cotard's delusion, a rare condition where people genuinely believe they are dead, don't exist, or have lost their blood and organs. Some patients stop eating because they believe they don't need food, and one woman asked to be taken to a morgue because she was convinced she belonged there.