TIL after a period of substance abuse and living without permanent housing, "Steve-O" of Jackass got accepted to the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Clown College in Sarasota, FL. After completing clown training he didn't get selected to join the circus. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve-O #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1ugj41z/til_after_a_period_of_substance_abuse_and_living/

TIL: Australia's "cultural cringe" is a long-recognized trend where many Australians view their own culture, or a self-perceived lack of culture, as inferior to other countries in the world, especially European countries, reflecting a national inferiority complex rooted in the country's history https://www.strandmagazine.co.uk/single-post/australia-s-cultural-cringe-complex #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1u9lo9h/til_australias_cultural_cringe_is_a/

TIL that "Mt Sunflower" is the highest point in Kansas, with a "prominence" (height above the base) of 5.8 m or 19 ft. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Sunflower #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1u9d19q/til_that_mt_sunflower_is_the_highest_point_in/

TIL in 1995 a traveller from South Africa accidentally transported a live bat to Los Angeles in his suitcase, triggering an Ebola scare https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2873759/ #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1u97hve/til_in_1995_a_traveller_from_south_africa/

TIL that the slang term "vag," used when referring to female private parts, comes from the word "vagina," not the word "vagabond." https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22469-vagina #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1u7u57a/til_that_the_slang_term_vag_used_when_referring/

TIL about PAN-PAN. PAN-PAN is the international standard distress signal that someone aboard a boat, ship, aircraft, or other vehicle uses to declare that they need help and that the situation is urgent but for the time being, does not pose an immediate danger to anyone's life or to the vessel. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-pan #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1u7rja2/til_about_panpan_panpan_is_the_international/

TIL in the U.S., surviving spouses or a surviving child qualify for a lump sum payout of $255, because it was three times the maximum monthly retirement benefit at the time of its conception in 1954, and has not increased in the last 72 years because it was never indexed to inflation. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R43637#_Toc179359009 #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1u7rct7/til_in_the_us_surviving_spouses_or_a_surviving/

TIL that the first 'Die Hard' was Jeb Stuart's very first screenplay, and then later on was a co-writer on 'The Fugitive' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeb_Stuart_(writer) #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1u7jrsm/til_that_the_first_die_hard_was_jeb_stuarts_very/

TIL Robins Williams homeless rider clause wasn’t real https://www.snopes.com/articles/469326/robin-williams-movies-contract-homeless/ #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1u7jfjw/til_robins_williams_homeless_rider_clause_wasnt/

TIL that the last B-52 was built in 1962 and that with retrofits and repowering, the USAF expects the remaining 75 planes will be flying in 2050, when they are approaching 100 years old. https://nationalsecurityjournal.org/the-super-b-52j-stratofortress-bomber-is-coming/ #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1u6x1ir/til_that_the_last_b52_was_built_in_1962_and_that/

TIL about the “guest star of 1054 CE”, a supernova explosion that was visible in daylight for weeks and in the night sky for over a year, creating the Crab Nebula. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SN_1054 #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1ucmhd1/til_about_the_guest_star_of_1054_ce_a_supernova/

TIL of Elena Cornaro Piscopia, one of the first female graduates of a European college; after her death the University of Padua banned women from graduating and the next female graduate (Laura Bassi) of any university would be 54 years in Bologna. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elena_Cornaro_Piscopia #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1u9lbsi/til_of_elena_cornaro_piscopia_one_of_the_first/

TIL Studies have shown that Gorillas are able to overcome early life adversity much better than other mammals, because of group support. In cases where young Gorillas have experienced parental loss or abandonment, unrelated adult males have stepped in to adopt them and successfully raise them https://gorillafund.org/gorilla-infants/learning-how-young-gorillas-overcome-adversity/ #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1u9h73e/til_studies_have_shown_that_gorillas_are_able_to/

TIL the same adaptations that let owls fly without making noise prevent their feathers from being waterproof. This makes owls unable to hunt on heavy rain and more vulnerable to drowning. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owl#Flight_and_feathers #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1u96t19/til_the_same_adaptations_that_let_owls_fly/

TIL New Mexico is a US state and not part of Mexico https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1u96ryr/til_new_mexico_is_a_us_state_and_not_part_of/

TIL In most US states your credit score is a bigger factor than your driving record when calculating your insurance premiums. a safe driver with a clean record but low credit will pay significantly MORE for car insurance than a driver with excellent credit who has a DUI conviction. https://bumpertobumperradio.com/latest-news/1690-consumer-reports-shines-light-on-car-insurance-quote-secrecy-prices-are-rife-with-inequities-and-unfair-practices?hl=en-US #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1u8zjhx/til_in_most_us_states_your_credit_score_is_a/

TIL many phone numbers with 555 are fake. In North America, the block 555-0100 through 555-0199 is officially reserved for fictitious, non-working numbers in movies, TV, and advertising. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/555_(telephone_number) #til #todayilearned https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1u8g27q/til_many_phone_numbers_with_555_are_fake_in_north/