TIL "Fatso the Fat-Arsed Wombat" was an unofficial mascot of the 2000 Summer Olympics. He proved so popular that the Australian Olympic Committee attempted to ban athletes appearing with Fatso to s... (en.wikipedia.org)
TIL orcas cultural fads. In the 1980s one such fad was wearing dead salmon as hats. It spread to three separate Pacific pods before suddenly going out of style. (www.atlasobscura.com)
TIL of Chaser, a border collie whose tested memory was the highest of any non-human animal. She could identify and retrieve 1022 different toys based on name and category. (en.wikipedia.org)
TIL: James Cameron ended up marrying the actress (Suzy Amis) who played Rose's granddaughter. (en.wikipedia.org)
TIL Jane Goodall met her first husband, Hugo van Lawick when he came to photograph her for National Geographic in Gombe Stream National Park and married in 1964. They had a son nicknamed Grub. But ... (people.com)
In this week’s issue, the beloved conservationist reflects on the 60th anniversary of her research, her celeb friends (Leo! Angelina!) her family and two husbands
TIL that Gatorade is similar in composition to a medical rehydration solution. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
These data indicate no difference in fluid retention between ORS or SDS when supplemented during exercise in the heat. This implies that fluid volume, and not drink contents, may be more important when ingested during exercise in a hot environment.
TIL about a man named Tricongius (meaning '3 gallon man') who was a celebrity in ancient Rome because of his ability to drink 3 gallons of wine in a single sitting. The Roman Emperor Tiberius is sa... (avirtualmuseum.org)
TIL recent evidence challenges the belief that hunting in prehistoric societies was primarily carried out by men. It is now thought that these societies developed tools, such as the spear thrower, ... (theconversation.com)
New research is challenging the hypothesis that men did the hunting in prehistoric societies.
TIL that upon Harry Houdini's death, his magic equipment was inherited by his brother Theodore on the condition that it be "burned and destroyed" upon Theodore's death. Instead, the equipment ended... (en.wikipedia.org)
TIL that "Eat, Pray, Love" is technically a sequel to "Coyote Ugly," since both are about the author's life. Before Elizabeth Gilbert went to find her bliss in 3rd world countries, she tended bar a... (www.theringer.com)
An inside look at the most “Noughties” movie ever made
TIL that after the Korean War, hungry Koreans would salvage leftover food from US army bases and cook it into stew. “Army Base Stew” is still eaten as a comfort food and can include instant noodles... (en.wikipedia.org)
TIL that the manta ray has the biggest brain and by far the biggest brain-to-mass ratio of any fish and is one of the few animals in the world that may pass the "mirror test" for self-recognition. (en.wikipedia.org)
TIL: The Great Slave Auction occurred in 1859 and consisted of 436 slaves auctioned over 2 days to over 200 buyers and sightseers. It was heavily advertised and netted over $9.9 million in today's ... (en.wikipedia.org)
TIL that Vincent van Gogh was a failed missionary and art school dropout, suffered from psychotic episodes and delusions, drank and smoked heavily, spent time in psychiatric hospitals, lived with a... (en.wikipedia.org)
TIL that originally the Barbie movie was supposed to come out in 2018, with Amy Schumer as Barbie. (people.com)
Amy Schumer was originally cast to play Barbie in a live-action movie back in December 2016, though she departed the role in March 2017 citing scheduling conflicts at the time
TIL about the Swiss Guard's Last Stand. In 1527 Over 20k troops of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, rebelled after not being paid for months, marched on Rome and sacked the city, killing thousands. Fe... (en.wikipedia.org)
TIL Vanna White had a miscarriage in 1992 shortly after an episode of Wheel of Fortune contained "Vanna's pregnant" as the answer to a puzzle. (en.wikipedia.org)
TIL that the Amazon River drains about 61 million gallons (230 million liters) of water into the ocean per second. This is greater than that of the world's next seven largest rivers combined and ac... (en.wikipedia.org)
TIL the most widely used Language in North America during the 1700s and 1800s was not English or Spanish but a universal form of Sign Language now known as Plains Sign. It allowed natives and colon... (en.wikipedia.org)
TIL that in 2013 the number of U.S. children named “Cheese” skyrocketed by 450 percent. (nymag.com)
What about Milk? Table is a good name, too.
TIL about Capitol Hill's mystery soda machine. Operating from around the early 1990s to 2018, this machine would dispense rare discontinued beverages. Supposedly the nearby businesses had no idea w... (en.wikipedia.org)
TIL A Chicago man who bought $1,000 in stock about 70 years ago has given the resulting $2 million to a wildlife charity (www.usatoday.com)
A lifelong Boy Scout who bought $1,000 in Walgreens stock about 70 years ago donated the resulting $2 million to the Audubon Society.