25 intriguing facts from the series “Today I learned” (26 photos)
We offer a new portion of interesting information from the Today I Learned subreddit. In this list, you'll likely find something you've never heard of before, from how long it takes to walk the Great Wall of China to why tennis balls are yellow. 
1. His daughter-in-law was behind Van Gogh's posthumous success 
Her name was Johanna Gesina van Gogh-Bonger and she was the wife of Theo Van Gogh. Johanna dedicated her life to disseminating Vincent's creative legacy, preserving and publishing his letters, organizing exhibitions of his paintings, and writing and translating articles and books about him.
2. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was more than just a fun flash mob on social networks 
This was a volunteer fundraising campaign aimed at making as many people as possible aware of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. And she raised enough money to create treatments for the disease (that work).
3. In 1943, 11 explosive shells hit the fuel tanks of an American bomber over Germany - but none exploded 
After the shells were opened, it turned out that they all contained no explosives, and one contained a note in Czech: “This is all we can do for you now.”
4. Monkeys in Ethiopia managed to “domesticate” wild wolves, helping them hunt small rodents 
Now wolves coexist peacefully with monkeys (even with cubs!). They never attack them, but hunt smaller and more difficult to reach prey.
5. An orangutan named Fu Manchu learned to escape from his enclosure at the Omaha Zoo by picking the lock. 
After his escape, Fu Manchu was usually found next to his lifelong mate and their cubs, all basking in the sun together. He escaped repeatedly over several weeks, and zoo staff could not figure out how he pulled it off. He was eventually caught in the act of picking the lock with a piece of wire that he hid in his mouth.
6. Once the band Rammstein gave a concert in Hamburg (Germany) and the physics department of the local university recorded it on its seismograph 
What they detected was not a sound, but a literal shaking of the ground.
7. In 2019, basketball player DJ Cooper was suspended for two years for using his girlfriend's urine to pass a drug test. 
The test results showed that he was pregnant.
8. The Nike logo was designed for $35 
But the company gave the designer shares that are now worth millions because she held them all without selling them.
9. A study was conducted in Africa that showed that cows with big eyes painted on their butts are not susceptible to ambush attacks by predators. 
10. One of the 8 Hawaiian Islands, Niihau, is known as the Forbidden Island 
It is privately owned and cannot be visited without an invitation, with 84 people living there in the 2020 census and they live primitively like their ancestors.
11. Commercial aircraft practically do not fly over Tibet. 
One reason is that in case of depressurization or engine failure, planes cannot descend to an altitude of 3,000 meters, since the average altitude of the Tibetan Plateau is 4,380 meters.
12. Previously, tennis balls were black and white, but at the suggestion of David Attenborough they were replaced with yellow ones so that TV viewers could see the ball better 
David Attenborough was the controller of BBC2 at a time when it was the first European television channel to broadcast in colour. Cameras weren't very good back then, and yellow showed up much better than dull white.
13. Many animals run faster than humans, but the strength and placement of our gluteal muscles gives us exceptional endurance. 
A person can continue to run and pursue prey even when other animals are forced to stop.
14. When Greece gained independence in 1822, Athens was a small village with a population of 4,000 people, which lost its significance over several centuries 
Athens was chosen as the capital for historical and sentimental reasons. It is now the largest city in Greece with a population of over 3 million people.
15. Citizens of Monaco are prohibited from gambling and working in casinos 
The famous Monte Carlo casino is only for foreigners.
16. In 1970, there were more than 50,000 pay toilets in the United States, but by 1980 there were almost none left. 
Four teenagers created the Committee to Combat Pay Toilets in America. In March 1973, Chicago became the first major American city to ban public toilets entirely.
17. Emperor Justinian II (685-695 and 705-711) was overthrown in a rebellion and had his nose cut off so he could never rule again. 
However, he managed to return to power in 705 with a prosthetic leg made of gold and took revenge on those who overthrew him.
18. The longest prison sentence in history - 141,078 years - was assigned to a resident of Thailand in 1989 
The woman's name was Chama Thipyaso and she was a scammer who scammed over 10,000 people. She received a sentence for each case of fraud, so it turned out to be simply huge. In fact, she was given only 20 years in prison, and in the end she served even less - only 4 years.
19. Before 1970, most pistachios were red. 
Due to long transportation, mold sometimes appeared on the shells. Red dye served to mask the stains.
20. One Thomas Cornell was convicted and sent to the gallows for the murder of his mother in 1673, thanks in part to "spectral evidence" provided by his uncle 
The uncle said that he was visited by the ghost of the murdered woman and said that Thomas did it.
21. It takes 18 months to walk the Great Wall of China. 
22. Mata Hari's head was embalmed and kept in the Museum of Anatomy in Paris 
In 2000, archivists discovered that she had disappeared.
23. The Simpsons episode where they go to Japan is banned in Japan. 
24. There are several “Nose Tombs” in Japan that contain tens of thousands of severed noses from Korea. 
25. 120 years have passed since a drunken British officer "arrested" and chained a banyan tree in northwestern Pakistan. 
This happened during the oppressive colonial period in the region. The tree continues to support the weight of its metal chains to this day.
