TIL that Hitler commissioned Ferdinand Porsche to create the VW Beetle as the Nazi everyman's car. Porsche stole the design of the car from a Jewish engineer named Josef Ganz who died in obscurity.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josef_Ganz
TIL at a 2005 congressional hearing, mentions of the Sedan nuclear test was incorrectly transcribed as "Sudan" in the record. Sudanese officials later stated that they "take this issue seriously and with extreme importance" and allegedly blamed the U.S. for raising cancer rates among their people.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedan_(nuclear_test)#Diplomatic_issue_with_Sudan
TIL the first truly wireless earbuds did not come out until 2015
TIL the biggest bank robbery in history was Saddam Hussein's son just walking inside the Central Bank of Iraq the night before US invasion, with a note handwritten by his father, loaded almost $1 billion into three tractor-trailers in span of two hours and left. $350 million of that was never found.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/may/07/iraq.garyyounge
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15dk810/til_the_biggest_bank_robbery_in_history_was/
TIL that the infamous (Sylvia Plath) suicide technique of sticking one's head in an oven was not a hot, violent affair. Rather, ovens used to run on "town gas" that had high carbon monoxide, and putting your head in an unlit oven was a rather peaceful way to go.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_gas
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/15d2reo/til_that_the_infamous_sylvia_plath_suicide/
TIL Former Cubs manager Dusty Baker is believed to have invented the high-five
https://www.outsports.com/2013/2/26/4034108/the-man-who-invented-the-high-five
TIL the U.S state of Rhode Island changed its name in 2020, and was the first state to ever do so
https://www.polgeonow.com/2021/01/why-did-rhode-island-change-its-name.html?m=1
TIL Beetween N and 2N there is always a prime number
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proof_of_Bertrand%27s_postulate
TIL one of the oldest families in Britain to still reside at their original seat are the Fulford family, who have lived at Great Fulford House since the reign of Richard I in 1196.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Fulford
TIL of the Baghdad Batteries, three artifact estimated to have been made between 225BC and 650AD which are a fascinating possibility of ancient technology for generating electricity or performing electroplating
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baghdad_Battery
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/156wwbj/til_of_the_baghdad_batteries_three_artifact/
TIL Maple syrup heist is the most valuable heist in Canada in history, involving C$18.7M of syrup
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Canadian_Maple_Syrup_Heist
TIL that in 1518 there was a outbreak of a 'dancing plague' in Strasbourg, in which hundreds of people inexplicably danced for weeks on end, claiming lives of victims along the way…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_plague_of_1518
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/156vk73/til_that_in_1518_there_was_a_outbreak_of_a/
TIL that there were 1752 books in Newton’s personal library after his death. (1763 if being included titles of which Newton owned more than one copy). Here's a category breakdown: Theology (477), Alchemy (169), Mathematics (126), Physics (52), Astronomy (33).
https://www.newtonproject.ox.ac.uk/his-library/books-in-newtons-library
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/156vf7m/til_that_there_were_1752_books_in_newtons/
TIL the most dangerous animal in australia is... horses! 7.7 deaths a year. Followed by cows then dogs
TIL On 27 March 2021, Croatia’s Budimir Šobat achieved the world record for breath-holding underwater, with a time of 24 minutes and 37 seconds. However, he breathed pure oxygen before immersion.
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/156v547/til_on_27_march_2021_croatias_budimir_šobat/
TIL Feral pigeons are descendants of domestic pigeons. The domestication of all modern pigeons goes back 5,000-10,000 years!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_pigeon?wprov=sfla1
TIL exactly ONE dinosaur fossil has ever been found in all of Washington state
https://www.burkemuseum.org/news/introducing-washingtons-first-dinosaur
TIL that Botox injections actually contain the Botulinum toxin(causes Botulism) to temporarily paralyse face muscles and give a wrinkle-free appearance.
https://www.healthline.com/health/botox
TIL the former president of a European country alleged he was abducted by aliens