TIL that the inhabitants of Madagascar (Malagasy people) are the descendants of approximately 30 Indonesian mothers who sailed on a transoceanic voyage 1200 years ago.
TIL that William Shatner offered to wrestle a real Bengal tiger that had been brought onto the set of Star Trek: The Original Series, only to quickly back down once he actually saw the animal up close
TIL that Larry Boucher, the father of SCSI, wanted the name to be pronounced as "sexy." The technology firm's Dal Allan mispronounced it as "scuzzy," though, and it stuck.
TIL In 1893 an envelope cutter named Walter Cowles was drinking at a tavern in London when he boasted he could fit a billiard ball in his mouth and close it fully. He inserted the ball in his mouth bu
TIL that on a 1977 school trip to Washington DC, a senior made a bet to get his classmates and himself set up for an unannounced tour of the White House. With a local payphone he gradually convinced o
TIL that Greg Maddux and Tony Gwynn faced each other 103 times in their careers, and Gwynn never struck out against Maddux. He hit .429 against Maddux in his career.
TIL Japanese idol Momoka Tojo was forced by her agency to post a "good night" selfie on X every day for a full year as a "purification" punishment after leaking a photo with her boyfriend. She complie
TIL that the HMHS Britannic could survive with six of its watertight compartments flooded, unlike the RMS Titanic’s four. And the damage done by the naval mine in 1916 was limited. However, the Britan
TIL during World War II, Empress Teimei, the mother of Emperor Hirohito, openly opposed Japan’s involvement in the war. Beginning in 1943, she worked behind the scenes with her third son Takamatsu to
TIL Cabin in the Woods (2011) was meant to have a tie-in with the Valve video game Left 4 Dead 2 (2009), serving as an additional DLC level for the game. The collaboration fell through due to MGM's fi
