Collections
20 Fun Facts You Can Learn On Your Lunch Break
There is something new to learn every single day. The world and the web is full of information and interesting images, and while it may be impossible to learn it all, a lot can be seen online. Aside from all of the broad knowledge people have to know, there are millions of small, fun facts to learn about that might surprise someone. From historical facts to small pieces of gossip, there is tons to discover.
Everyone can take a minute out of their day to discover somehting intriguing and interesting. There are tons of people who take the time to share something they have learned with the world. These fun facts can fill a silence, impress a first date, or just make someone feel more educated about the world.
So, for those who want some food for thought or for those who want to test their own knowledge, here is a collection of 20 facts we only just learned today, so everyone else can learn them, too. Have fun with these odd facts and pieces of knowledge.
TIL Star Trek Creator Gene Roddenberry was asked to write a series called Riverboat
TIL Star Trek Creator Gene Roddenberry was asked to write a series called Riverboat, set in 1860s Mississippi. When he discovered that the producers wanted no black people on the show, he argued so much with them that he lost the job.
(Source: Reddit)
TIL a man noticed a loophole in a lottery called Winfall.
TIL a man noticed a loophole in a lottery called Winfall. When the jackpot hit $5m & had no winner, it was split between those who matched 3, 4 & 5 numbers. If he spent $1,100 on 1,100 tickets, he'd have 1 four-number winner & 18 three-number winners, earning $800 profit. He netted $7.75m over 9 years.
(Source: Reddit)
TIL Roman Emperor Diocletian was the first to voluntarily retire in 305 AD to grow cabbages.
TIL Roman Emperor Diocletian was the first to voluntarily retire in 305 AD to grow cabbages. When begged to return to power, he declined, saying "If you could see the vegetables I grow with my own hands, you wouldn’t talk to me about empire." He lived out his days gardening by the Dalmatian coast.
(Source: Reddit)
TIL that Nvidia founder Jensen Huang's parents sold nearly everything they owned to send him to what they thought was a prestigious boarding school.
TIL that Nvidia founder Jensen Huang's parents sold nearly everything they owned to send him to what they thought was a prestigious boarding school but which was in fact a reformatory for troubled kids. He taught his 17 year old roommate how to read in exchange for help working out.
(Source: Reddit)
TIL that Pope Celestine V resigned just 5 months into his papacy in 1294.
TIL that Pope Celestine V resigned just 5 months into his papacy in 1294 because he never wanted the job and wanted to go back to his cave, he was chosen after a 2-year deadlock, felt overwhelmed by Vatican politics, issued a decree allowing popes to quit, and then used it to step down.
(Source: Reddit)
TIL most living areas in ancient Roman Cities lacked any kitchen area.
TIL most living areas in ancient Roman Cities lacked any kitchen area, with most citizens either getting food from from a communal kitchen or buying prepared foods from street vendors.
(Source: Reddit)
TIL Prince Charles & Princess Diana only met in person 13x before getting engaged.
TIL Prince Charles & Princess Diana only met in person 13x before getting engaged and when they were asked if they were in love, Charles said "whatever in love means". Then on the night before their wedding, he reportedly told her that he didn't love her in order to get everything out in the open.
(Source: Reddit)
TIL that the creator of VeggieTales mother forbade two things on the show.
TIL that the creator of VeggieTales mother forbade two things on the show 1. They could not display Jesus as a Vegetable 2. The Veggies can have no redemptive relationship with God.
(Source: Reddit)
TIL that James H. Salisbury, the inventor of Salisbury steak, was an early proponent of germ theory.
TIL that James H. Salisbury, the inventor of Salisbury steak, was an early proponent of germ theory and invented his steak to prevent diarrhea.
(Source: Reddit)
TIL that pencils were invented after a massive deposit of solid graphite was discovered in England.
TIL that pencils were invented after a massive deposit of solid graphite was discovered in England, being the only place in the world with pieces large enough to cut into solid rods. England's monopolies over these lead other countries to smuggle graphite and recycle graphite powder.
(Source: Reddit)
TIL MC HAMMER was a true gangster and other rappers feared him.
TIL MC HAMMER was a true gangster and other rappers feared him. He would threaten and put out hits on other rappers who he felt discredited him, or his family.
(Source: Reddit)
TIL in August 2007, 17-year-old George Hotz became the first person to remove the SIM lock on an iPhone.
TIL in August 2007, 17-year-old George Hotz became the first person to remove the SIM lock on an iPhone. He then proceeded to trade the second (8GB) iPhone that he unlocked to Terry Daidone, the founder of CertiCell, for a Nissan 350Z and three more 8GB iPhones.
(Source: Reddit)
TIL in The Office the characters Toby, Ryan and Kelly were located in “the annex” because those actors were also head writers for the show.
TIL in The Office the characters Toby, Ryan and Kelly were located in “the annex” because those actors were also head writers for the show. Not requiring them in the background for scenes that did not directly involve their characters allowed them to attend to other off-camera responsibilities.
(Source: Reddit)
TIL that the first journalist to report the outbreak of the Second World War was a rookie British reporter on her very first week on the job.
TIL that the first journalist to report the outbreak of the Second World War was a rookie British reporter on her very first week on the job. While travelling along the German–Polish border, she spotted thousands of troops, tanks, and artillery massed for invasion.
(Source: Reddit)
TIL world-renowned herpetologist Karl Schmidt was fatally bitten by a boomslang.
TIL world-renowned herpetologist Karl Schmidt was fatally bitten by a boomslang (an arboreal African elapid). To get some data out of the situation, he described every symptom in detail almost until the point of death.
(Source: Reddit)
TIL studies have found that Nobel Prize-winning scientists are about 25x more likely to sing, dance or act than the average scientist.
TIL studies have found that Nobel Prize-winning scientists are about 25x more likely to sing, dance or act than the average scientist. They are also 17x more likely to create visual art, 12x more likely to write poetry, and 4x more likely to be a musician.
(Source: Reddit)
TIL in 2017 a woman received new hands from a male donor after she underwent Asia's first upper arm double-hand transplant.
TIL in 2017 a woman received new hands from a male donor after she underwent Asia's first upper arm double-hand transplant. To the surprise of her doctors, the limbs (which were hairier & darker) became more feminine & lighter over time, resulting in their color being closer to her own skin tone.
(Source: Reddit)
TIL a Hollywood executive once wanted Harriet Tubman to be played by Julia Roberts.
TIL a Hollywood executive once wanted Harriet Tubman to be played by Julia Roberts because “It was so long ago. No one is going to know the difference”
(Source: Reddit)
TIL Denver, CO has an official mayor's residence that no mayor has ever lived in.
TIL Denver, CO has an official mayor's residence that no mayor has ever lived in. It was donated to the city in 1998 and none of the 5 mayors since that time has opted to move in.
(Source: Reddit)
TIL in 1816, the United States built a fort to protect itself from invasion by Canada.
TIL in 1816, the United States built a fort to protect itself from invasion by Canada. There was only one small problem: due to a surveying error, it was built in Canada. It was later known as "Fort Blunder"
(Source: Reddit)
