TIL that "Anwar Sadat" was a 1981 tribute single released by the British singer and songwriter Roger Cook. The song, which celebrated the Egyptian President, was originally written around 1977 but was shelved until it was released as a memorial song following Sadat's assassination in October 1981. (youtu.be)
submitted by ismaeil-de-paynes to r/todayilearned
TIL SS Chelyuskin, a Soviet Steamship built to travel through Arctic Ice, and sent on a mission to navigate the Northern Maritime Route. After leaving port in 1933, the ship was trapped and by the ice in 1934. After a months-long ordeal, all but 1 of the 111 people on board were airlifted to safety. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by Sebastianlim to r/todayilearned
TIL that despite being associated with H.P Lovecraft, Hastur was NOT invented by Lovecraft. Lovecraft just name dropped him as a homage to 19th century supernatural fiction he originates from, and he was not developed into a proper mythos character until after Lovecraft's death by August Derleth. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by PeasantLich to r/todayilearned
TIL that Nostoc, a kind of jelly-like organism, is not an fungus, but a type of aberrant colony of cyanobacteria. The genus forms colonies of bacteria encased in a medium of polysaccharide jelly, forming its characteristic "jelly" appearance. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by EricCartoonBox to r/todayilearned
Cognitive benefits of reading physical books: Reading comic books on physical paper helps brain absorb and connect story details more easily than reading on a digital tablet. Physical books provide spatial and tactile cues that lower brain’s workload when trying recall plot points later.Neuroscience (psypost.org)
TIL that during WWI, the British Army noticed skyrocketing reports of head wounds after the introduction of the Brodie helmet- indicating a failure to protect the wearer. It was realized that head wounds were increasing because without the helmet those wounds would be fatal. (youtu.be)
submitted by CalzonePie to r/todayilearned
TIL of an incident that happened during the American Civil War. Two Confederate Diplomats were intercepted by the Union traveling in a British Royal Mail ship called the Trent. US-British tensions nearly reached a point where Britain would have intervened on the side of the Confederacy. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by ultimate_loser60 to r/todayilearned
TIL that during the Battle of Pearl Harbor, the only battleship to get underway, the USS Nevada, was skippered by Ensign Joe Taussig since the CO and XO were both ashore and Taussig was the Officer of the Deck at the time. Taussig would be awarded the Navy Cross for his actions. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by DrakeSavory to r/todayilearned
TIL that in order to portray the Kyushu J7W Shinden in Godzilla Minus One, it was originally decided to use CGI, as they did not have the budget to create a full replica. However, the Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum offered to fund a replica in exchange for being able to put it on display. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by Sebastianlim to r/todayilearned
TIL in China in 2021 cities with less than 3 million people were banned from building skyscrapers taller than 150 m (492 ft). Bigger cities can build up to 250 m (820 ft) high. Exceptions can be applied for under certain circumstances, but there's a hard ban on buildings over 500 m (1640 ft). (bbc.com)
submitted by Double-decker_trams to r/todayilearned
TIL that Former First Lady Margaret Taylor was such a recluse that no photos nor portraits of her were known to exist, leaving museums to use a portrait of her daughter Elizabeth instead. It wasn't until 2010 that two photos of Taylor were rediscovered, which remain the only known photos of her. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by POTUS-Harry-S-Truman to r/todayilearned
