15 totally unusual true facts that Internet users have shared (part 2)

Some time ago, we presented you with these totally unusual real facts that Internet users had shared on Reddit, thus allowing us to discover often improbable anecdotes. And today, we have decided to do it again, thanks to a selection from the subreddit Today I Learned (or more commonly abbreviated as TIL), in which users regularly share the latest unexpected facts they have learned.

#1

TIL in 1962 an Englishman named Brendon Grimshaw bought a lone island in the Seychelles and settled there for the rest of his life. He planted over 16,000 trees attracting countless species and made it a national park.
by u/iloveuranus in todayilearned

Today I learned that in 1962 an Englishman named Brendon Grimshaw bought an isolated island in the Seychelles and settled there for the rest of his life. He planted over 16,000 trees there, attracting countless species, and made it a national park.

#2

TIL During an interview with Stephen Hawking, the camera operator yanked a cable causing an alarm and Hawking to slump forward. Worried they had killed him, everyone rushed over to find Hawking giggling at his own joke. The alarm was from an office computer losing power.
by u/Helpful__Alfalfa in todayilearned

Today I learned that during an interview with Stephen Hawking, the cameraman pulled on a cable, which set off an alarm and caused Hawking to collapse forward. Fearing that they had killed him, everyone rushed to discover Hawking laughing at his own joke. The alarm came from a desktop computer that had lost power.

#3

TIL Genghis Khan would marry off a daughter to the king of an allied nation. Then he would assign his new son in law to military duty in the Mongol wars, while his daughter took over the rule. Most sons in law died in combat, giving his daughters complete control of these nations
by u/_pancake_lover_ in todayilearned

Today I learned that Genghis Khan was marrying his daughter to the king of an allied nation. Then he assigned his new son-in-law to military service in the Mongol Wars, while his daughter took power. Most sons-in-law died in battle, allowing his daughters to take full control of these nations.

#4

TIL the FBI has struggled to hire hackers because of the FBI hiring rule that the applicant must not have used marijuana during the last 3 years.
by u/Miskatonica in todayilearned

Today I learned that the FBI is having trouble recruiting hackers because of the FBI’s hiring rule that the candidate must not have used marijuana in the last three years.

#5

TIL a fan drove three hours to deliver rapper, Boozie Badazz, a much needed dosage of insulin. She refused to accept payment and instead asked for just a photo. On her way home she stopped at a store, bought a scratch off ticket, and won $10,000.
by u/RarelyAquatic in todayilearned

Today I learned that a fan drove three hours to get rapper Boozie Badazz a much-needed dose of insulin. She refused to be paid and only asked for a photo. On the way home, she stopped at a store, bought a scratch ticket and won $10,000.

#6

TIL that the Animal Planet reality series ‘River Monsters’ ended because star Jeremy Wade was able to catch essentially every exceptionally large freshwater fish species on earth, leaving no remaining content for the show
by u/the_freshest_scone in todayilearned

Today I learned that Animal Planet’s “River Monsters” TV series has come to a halt because show star Jeremy Wade managed to catch virtually every exceptionally large freshwater fish species in the planet, thus leaving no content for the rest of the show.

#7

TIL that millennial dads are spending 3 times as much times with their kids than their fathers spent with them. Back in 1982, 43% of fathers admitted they’d never changed a diaper. Today, that number is down to about 3%.
by and/meowroarhiss in todayilearned

Today I learned that millennial dads spend 3 times more time with their kids than their dads spent with them. In 1982, 43% of fathers admitted never having changed a diaper. Today, they are only 3%.

#8

TIL a waitress was tipped a lottery ticket and won $10,000,000. She was then sued by her colleagues for their share. Then she was sued by the man who tipped her the ticket. Then she was kidnapped by her ex husband, and shot him in the chest. Then she went to court against the IRS.
by u/MarriedEngineer in todayilearned

Today I learned that a waitress had received a lottery ticket as a tip, and that she had won 10 million dollars. Her colleagues then sued her for their share. She was then chased by the man who had tipped her the ticket. She was then kidnapped by her ex-husband and shot him in the chest. She then filed a lawsuit against the IRS (Internal Revenue Service).

#9

TIL of Dr. Donald Hopkins. He helped eradicate Smallpox, and is on the verge of killing another disease. He’s taken Guinea Worm Disease down from 3.5 million cases a year to just 28 cases last year.
by in todayilearned

Today I learned of the existence of Dr. Donald Hopkins. He helped eradicate smallpox and is about to overcome another disease. He passed [la dracunculose]a disease caused by Guinea worm, from 35 million cases a year to just 28 cases last year.

#10

TIL Romans were known to create tombs for their dogs and gave them epitaphs to remember them by. One such inscription read, “I am in tears, while carrying you to your last resting place as much as I rejoiced when bringing you home with my own hands 15 years ago.”
by u/unnaturalorder in todayilearned

Today I learned that the Romans used to create graves for their dogs and make epitaphs for them to remember them. One such inscription read: “I weep as I carry you to your final resting place, as much as I rejoiced in bringing you home with my own hands 15 years ago.”

#11

TIL: Microsoft tried a 4-day workweek in Japan as part of a “Work Life Choice Challenge” by shutting down offices every Friday. Productivity, measured by sales per employee, increased by almost 40% compared to the same period the previous year.
by u/SeizeOpportunity in todayilearned

Today I learned that Microsoft tried to implement the four-day work week in Japan, as part of a “Work Life Choice Challenge”, by closing its offices every Friday. Productivity, measured by sales per employee, increased nearly 40% from the same period a year earlier.

#12

TIL when the Nazis burned Sigmund Freud’s books he said, “What progress we are making. In the Middle Ages they would have burned me. Now, they are content with burning my books.”
by u/theloftytransient in todayilearned

Today I learned that when the Nazis burned Sigmund Freud’s books, he was said to have said, “What progress we are making! In the Middle Ages they would have burned me. Today they just burn my books”.

#13

TIL many doctors have stopped calling cancer treatment a “fight” or “battle”. They argue these terms misrepresent how treatment works and if treatments fail, the patient is left with guilt and a false belief they didn’t “fight” hard enough.
by in todayilearned

Today I learned that many doctors have stopped talking about cancer treatment as being a “fight” or a “battle”. According to them, these terms give a false image of the functioning of the treatment and, in the event of failure, the patient feels guilty and mistakenly believes that he did not “fight” enough.

#14

TIL Arnold Schwarzenegger wasn’t allowed to dub his own role in Terminator in German, as his accent is considered very rural by German/Austrian standards and it would be too ridiculous to have a death machine from the future come back in time and sound like a hillbilly.
by in todayilearned

Today I learned that Arnold Schwarzenegger was not allowed to dub his own role in the German version of Terminator, because his accent is considered very rural by German/Austrian standards and would be too ridiculous to bring back in time a killing machine from the future that looks like a hick.

#15

TIL Carrie Fisher delivered a cow tongue inside a Tiffany box to a predatory producer who had assaulted her friend. She said, “The next delivery will be something of yours in a much smaller box!”
by in/gmcl86 in todayilearned

Today I learned that Carrie Fisher delivered a cow’s tongue in a Tiffany box to a predatory producer who assaulted her friend. She reportedly said, “The next delivery will be something of yours in a much smaller box!”.

And to continue in the same theme and discover cFacts that look fake but are realsee our previous article on the subject, right here.