TIL That the very first smart device was created in 1961: Its purpose? To cheat at GAMBLING!

https://www.winton.com/news/ed-thorp-claude-shannon-and-the-worlds-first-wearable-computer
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1sxopwx/til_that_the_very_first_smart_device_was_created/

TIL that at least 8 Presidents of the United States have been left-handed.

https://www.govtech.com/question-of-the-day/Question-of-the-Day-for-02172015.html
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1sxomno/til_that_at_least_8_presidents_of_the_united/

TIL that dapping up originated from African-American soldiers during the Vietnam War to convey solidarity for each other

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giving_dap
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1sxohb4/til_that_dapping_up_originated_from/

TIL that during the 1902 Hanoi Rat Massacre, the French government paid a bounty for rat tails, but instead of reducing the population, residents began breeding rats to cut off their tails for profit.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/hanoi-rat-massacre-1902
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1sxo1bc/til_that_during_the_1902_hanoi_rat_massacre_the/

TIL in 1993, the magazine Sky & Telescope held a contest to replace the name of the Big Bang model. Suggestions included "Hubble Bubble", "Bertha D. Universe" and "SAGAN" ("Scientists Awestruck at God's Awesome Nature".) A panel of scientists, including Carl Sagan and others, turned them down.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sagan#Sites_named_after_him
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1sxnm7i/til_in_1993_the_magazine_sky_telescope_held_a/

TIL that Walt Whitman and Oscar Wilde met in January 1882, and some evidence suggests they had a romantic or even sexual encounter. When talking about the event, Wilde said “I have the kiss of Walt Whitman still on my lips,” and “there is no one in…America whom I love and honour so much.”

https://lithub.com/when-wilde-met-whitman/#:~:text=Whitman%20bragged%20that%20%E2%80%9CWilde%20had%20the%20good,Walt%20Whitman%20is%20still%20on%20my%20lips.%E2%80%9D
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1sxnbop/til_that_walt_whitman_and_oscar_wilde_met_in/

TIL New York Airways operated helicopter flights to the top of the Pan Am building until a 1977 accident killed five people

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Airways?wprov=sfti1#Accidents
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1sxmve3/til_new_york_airways_operated_helicopter_flights/

TIL that Zhang Chongren, a Chinese artist and friend of Hergé, profoundly influenced Tintin by helping shift the comics away from racial stereotypes toward cultural accuracy, especially in The Blue Lotus.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Chongren
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1sxmm80/til_that_zhang_chongren_a_chinese_artist_and/

TIL that Chuck Berry punched Keith Richards in the face for touching his guitar. Richards would later describe the punch as "his greatest hit"

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/chuck-berry-punched-keith-richards-in-the-face/
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1sxmlqw/til_that_chuck_berry_punched_keith_richards_in/

TIL the average bedroom temperature in Japan is 55°F (13°C) for sleep

https://www.news18.com/lifestyle/why-7-hours-of-sleep-feels-better-in-japan-than-in-the-us-ws-l-9442638.html
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1sxlp24/til_the_average_bedroom_temperature_in_japan_is/

TIL that the opposite of a "Bird's-eye view" is a "Worm's-eye view"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worm%27s-eye_view
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1sxllzu/til_that_the_opposite_of_a_birdseye_view_is_a/

TIL about a Thomas the Tank Engine episode titled "The Sad Story of Henry", in which the engine Henry refuses to work because of the rain and, as punishment, is immured in a tunnel and left there "for always and always and always". The end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO6qIM2WO6k
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1sxlj34/til_about_a_thomas_the_tank_engine_episode_titled/