Today I Learned (TIL)

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/NapalmBurns on 2024-12-23 03:55:43.

Original Title: TIL about Torsten Stålnacke - a Swede who, on 1961/09/14, during the Congo Crisis, had his jaw nearly shot off in battle. Forced to clear his windpipe of bone fragments in order to breathe, Torsten used M3-E1 to destroy an enemy APC - all the while holding his almost blown off chin in his free hand!

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/42percentBicycle on 2024-12-23 03:08:16.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/Frequent-Outcome8492 on 2024-12-23 01:36:07.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/tyrion2024 on 2024-12-23 01:33:54.

Original Title: TIL an analysis of the judges at the California State Fair wine competition (the oldest in North America) found that they "constantly" contradicted themselves; only about one in ten regularly rated the same wine in a similar manner each time.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/Urisk on 2024-12-23 00:36:18.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/strangelove4564 on 2024-12-22 22:05:54.

Original Title: TIL the Boeing 737 started as the company's smallest passenger jet. It was gradually lengthened to the 737-900ER, which at 137 feet is almost the length of the original Boeing 707, flies the same distance, and carries more passengers.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/TheSteelSword on 2024-12-22 21:36:11.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/WouldbeWanderer on 2024-12-22 20:16:52.

Original Title: TIL when the Henry Ford Company dissolved in 1902, Ford's financial backers called in engineer Henry M. Leland to appraise the plant for liquidation. Leland persuaded them continue making cars at the plant using Leland's engine design and formed a new car company: Cadillac.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/gullydon on 2024-12-22 19:42:51.

Original Title: TIL the emperor penguin is a very powerful bird. In one case, a crew of six men, trying to capture a single male penguin for a zoo collection, were repeatedly tossed around and knocked over before all of the men had to collectively tackle the bird, which weighs about half as much as a man.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/Flares117 on 2024-12-22 19:28:30.

Original Title: TIL: Japanese Gossip Youtuber, GaaSyy, won an election, but became the first parliament member to be expelled in 72 years for not showing up for work in almost a year. He campaigned from Dubai using his 1.2 million subscribers and won the election. However, he never returned to Japan.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/DangerNoodle1993 on 2024-12-22 18:44:49.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/kinggoosey on 2024-12-22 18:04:16.

Original Title: TIL the first spacewalk was plagued with issues including Alexei's feet coming out of his boots, not being able to fit back inside the capsule, and landing in a forest in winter without a heater, waiting over a day for rescue

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/holyfruits on 2024-12-22 17:39:07.

Original Title: TIL Home Alone was responsible for making Kevin the number one name in Germany in 1991. Later, the name became associated with low social status in the country, which led to the coining of the German word, Kevinismus, meaning the negative preconception German people give to trendy exotic names

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/ProudReaction2204 on 2024-12-22 17:01:37.

Original Title: TIL Tanya Roberts, who played a bond girl and Donna's mom in That 70's Show, died of a urinary tract infection that advanced to sepsis and multi-organ failure. She noticed the pain while hiking one day and the next day fell out of bed and couldn't get up.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/tyrion2024 on 2024-12-22 16:56:41.

Original Title: TIL both the producers & CBS felt that A Charlie Brown Christmas would fail because of its tone, pacing, music & animation. It also lacked a laugh track, which was a staple in US TV animation. However, it received high ratings & critical acclaim and went on to air during Christmas season for 56 yrs.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/Capital-Albatross-17 on 2024-12-22 16:46:59.

Original Title: TIL that contrary to popular belief, it's not Jeff Bezos but Dennis Tito, who was the first billionaire Space traveller. Dennis went to Space in the year 2000. 21 years before Jeff. He is also the first space tourist to the International Space Station.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/AmiroZ on 2024-12-22 16:11:14.

Original Title: TIL in 1912, a man found the skull of a prehistoric "missing link" in the human evolutionary chain. In 1953, it was discovered that the skull was that of a medieval human with an orangutan jaw and fossilized chimpanzee teeth. "The Piltdown Man" become the most famous paleoanthropological hoax ever.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/ObjectiveAd6551 on 2024-12-22 16:09:08.

Original Title: TIL: Hitler’s “table talks” were mealtime gatherings where he spouted monologues to impress guests like Goebbels and Göring. While newcomers found his historical insights dazzling, others grew bored, calling the talks rambling nonsense designed to shield Hitler from real criticism.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/Ghosts_of_Bordeaux on 2024-12-22 15:02:16.

Original Title: TIL 20th Century Fox released Miracle on 34th Street (1947) in June, reasoning more people went to the movies in hot weather. As such, Christmas themes were downplayed in ads and the trailer starred actors who weren't even in the film extolling its virtues while not mentioning the holiday setting.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/ObjectiveAd6551 on 2024-12-22 14:26:57.

Original Title: TIL the White House was open to the public until the early 20th century. In 1829, 20,000 citizens followed President Andrew Jackson back after his inauguration. The rowdy crowd packed the White House, forcing Jackson to flee to a hotel. Aides eventually lured them out with tubs of whiskey and OJ.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/Ainsley-Sorsby on 2024-12-22 11:10:53.

Original Title: TIL around the same time George Washington's family moved to Virginia, another branch of the family moved to the Netherlands and later became Bavarian nobility, the Barons Von Washington. Von Washington wrote to his relative(6 generations removed) asking to serve in the US army, but got rejected

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/tyrion2024 on 2024-12-22 09:17:45.

Original Title: TIL media tycoon Kerry Packer once paid off a cocktail waitress' $130,000 mortage after he accidentally bumped into her, causing her to spill her drinks. Another time, he paid off a cocktail waitress' $150,000 mortage as a tip for good service.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/Bizengold on 2024-12-22 08:27:43.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/theotherbogart on 2024-12-22 04:22:31.

The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/AnimeFanJP on 2024-12-22 03:57:05.