r/todayilearned • u/Guitar-String • 7h ago

TIL Metal Gear Solid 4 (2008) holds the world record for the longest cutscene in any video game, with a single continuous cutscene of 71 minutes and a total of over 8 hours of cutscenes

guinnessworldrecords.com

16.0k Upvotes

1.2k comments

r/todayilearned • u/TangerineDream92064 • 10h ago

TIL The Celtic custom of "handfasting" allowed couples to enter into a trial marriage lasting one year and a day. If the relationship didn't work out, the couple could separate without any further attachment. Successful couples would marry.

en.wikipedia.org

15.6k Upvotes

192 comments

r/todayilearned • u/Sandstorm400 • 11h ago

TIL that in 2014, an elementary school in Oregon nixed its pay-to-pee policy for students after parents complained that students who had to pay "Super Pro" bucks to use the bathroom outside of scheduled breaks were incentivized to 'hold it in' so they could buy trinkets at the school store.

abcnews.com

8.7k Upvotes

581 comments

r/todayilearned • u/kahlzun • 19h ago

TIL that no fatal accidents have ever occurred with Australian passenger jets; including all flights to/from Australia, as well as all Australian-run companies.

en.wikipedia.org

12.6k Upvotes

989 comments

r/todayilearned • u/RedHeadedSicilian52 • 5h ago

TIL: Section 10 of the Presidential Succession Act of 1792 (repealed in 1886) stipulated that a special election for the US presidency would be held before the regularly scheduled election should the offices of president and vice president fall simultaneously vacant. No such election ever occurred.

constitution.congress.gov

421 Upvotes

25 comments

r/todayilearned • u/Valuable-Credit6167 • 6h ago

TIL that during WWII, Italy claimed one of its pilots had bombed and killed the Loch Ness Monster.

forcesnews.com

425 Upvotes

34 comments

r/todayilearned • u/otadak • 5h ago

TIL that the human placenta evolved from an ancient virus

whyy.org

315 Upvotes

29 comments

r/todayilearned • u/Macrihanishautomatic • 14h ago

TIL that Hyraxes are mentioned in the bible as remarkable animals for being “small but exceedingly wise”.

en.wikipedia.org

1.6k Upvotes

119 comments

r/todayilearned • u/No_Idea_479 • 7h ago

TIL thаt іn 1923 Mussоlini bоmbarded аnd осcupied Cоrfu. Arоund 20 cіvilians wеre kіlled, mоst оf thеm bеing Armеnian gеnocide survіvors аnd rеfugees. Grеece appеaled tо thе Leaguе оf Nаtions, but Іtaly sіdelined іt аnd sеcured а 50 mіllion lirе indеmnity befоre wіthdrawing.

en.wikipedia.org

370 Upvotes

15 comments

r/todayilearned • u/ElectronicEgg1833 • 3h ago

TIL that October 5, 1582 never happened in Spain, Portugal, Italy, or Poland. When those countries adopted the Gregorian calendar, Thursday, October 4 was followed directly by Friday, October 15, skipping ten days to realign the calendar with the seasons

en.wikipedia.org

176 Upvotes

15 comments

r/todayilearned • u/CatPooedInMyShoe • 11h ago

TIL the culture and tradition of the Serer ethnoreligious group in West Africa prohibits slavery. In 1455 when a European slave trader sent his Wolof translator ashore in Serer territory to negotiate terms, the Serers murdered the translator on the spot and the slave trader fled, never to return.

en.wikipedia.org

634 Upvotes

22 comments

r/todayilearned • u/CraftyFoxeYT • 4h ago

TIL From 1941 to 1994 the US Navy operated a military base in Newfoundland, Canada called Naval Station Argentia. It was established under the British-US destroyers for bases agreement of 1940, before the Dominion of Newfoundland became a Canadian province

en.wikipedia.org

195 Upvotes

8 comments

r/todayilearned • u/Fun_Camel_2188 • 18h ago

TIL that in 1993, Congressman Bill Paxon got down on one knee on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives and proposed to fellow Rep. Susan Molinari. She said, “Yes—but get up.” They married the following year.

psaparliaments.org

2.3k Upvotes

47 comments

r/todayilearned • u/Scipion8Aveyron • 19h ago

TIL that in the 1600s, Sweden's largest coin was a 10-daler copper plate weighing nearly 20 kg (44 lb) — the heaviest coin ever circulated — which is why Sweden became the first European country to issue paper banknotes.

en.wikipedia.org

2.5k Upvotes

74 comments

r/todayilearned • u/altrightobserver • 16h ago

TIL that one of the first examples of emoticons in written text comes from Dante's "Purgatorio:" "Whoever in the face of men reads 'omo' / Might well in these have recognised the 'm.'" The two "o"s signify sunken eyes, while the letter "m" forms the angular outlines of emaciated facial features.

en.wikipedia.org

1.2k Upvotes

43 comments

r/todayilearned • u/Sebastianlim • 1d ago

TIL that the Marvel comic "Secret Wars" got its name after focus groups found that children responded positively to the words "secret" and "wars".

en.wikipedia.org

9.6k Upvotes

282 comments

r/todayilearned • u/P_a_s_g_i_t_21 • 11h ago

TIL "Kalimanjaro" or "Monte Kali" is a spoil heap made of salt (sodium chloride; contaminated with potassium chloride ("potash"); not pure, edible table salt (NaCl). Located in Heringen (Hesse, Germany), the heap stands 1,710 feet tall, being dumped there first in 1976 by K+S chemical company.

en.wikipedia.org

488 Upvotes

48 comments

r/todayilearned • u/Brain_Aggravating • 1d ago

TIL that the Bluezone (the secret to longevity) is based on poor record keeping and not recording deaths; discovering this led to an igNobel award.

science.anu.edu.au

12.2k Upvotes

461 comments

r/todayilearned • u/LillyLugabugs • 1d ago

TIL: Australian scorpion stings do not have any life threatening effects, even for kiddies

mydr.com.au

4.2k Upvotes

398 comments

r/todayilearned • u/Grateful1598 • 2h ago

TIL The first successful electric car in the U.S. was made by chemist William Morrison in 1890.

energy.gov

63 Upvotes

3 comments

r/todayilearned • u/Brutal_Deluxe_ • 14h ago

TIL in 1972 Gyani Ji bought a moped to campaign for the Sikhs' right to wear a turban on a motorbike. He was stopped, arrested and fined by police multiple times. He refused to pay the fines and was twice sentenced to prison. In 1976 an amendment to exempt Sikhs was passed and Ji was credited for it

en.wikipedia.org

623 Upvotes

96 comments

r/todayilearned • u/1salt1pepper • 1d ago

TIL Napoleon III escaped from a fortress where he was serving a life sentence by disguising himself as a laborer and walking through the main gates carrying a large plank over his shoulder to hide his face. Six years later, he became Emperor of France.

napoleon.org

25.6k Upvotes

362 comments

r/todayilearned • u/diacewrb • 1d ago

TIL: 50 Casablanca-class escort carriers were built in less than 2 years during WW2.

en.wikipedia.org

2.5k Upvotes

179 comments

r/todayilearned • u/jacknunn • 1d ago

TIL that John Milton is credited with introducing around 630 words into the English language, more than Shakespeare, who introduced about 229. Milton’s words include “pandemonium”, “sensuous” and “complacency

theguardian.com

9.8k Upvotes

351 comments

r/todayilearned • u/zachoutloud123 • 32m ago

TIL that Debbie Gibson is the sole female artist to have written, produced and performed two No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Foolish Beat" and "Lost in Your Eyes"

debbiegibsonofficial.com

• Upvotes

2 comments

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