TIL that one of the earliest non-Christian mentions of Jesus was from a Syrian stoic philosopher called Mara bar Serapion, writing to his son about the unjust killing of the “wise King of the Jews”, and how God justly avenged him. [source, comments]

TIL Frozen foods will never expire at -18°C (0°F) or lower [source, comments]

TIL that Amsterdam’s Stock Exchange banned short selling in 1610 after the first-ever bear raid where a shareholder tried to crash the Dutch East India Company’s stock [source, comments]

TIL of the 3.5% rule. When historically 3.5% of the population protest nonviolently against a government, that government is likely to fall. [source, comments]

TIL There’s a lake in Dominica that literally boils, surrounded by a steaming, alien-like landscape. [source, comments]

TIL that in 2003 a convicted heroin dealer in Australia had a court decision upheld allowing him to claim AUD$220K stolen from him in a drug deal as a tax deduction. [source, comments]

TIL of the Quebec Biker War between the Quebec Hells Angels and Rock Machine Motorcycle Clubs, which left 162 dead, 180+ injured, including 84 bombings and 130 cases of Arson [source, comments]

TIL that when Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit wrote the song Hot Dog as a diss track aimed at Trent Reznor, he used so much material from Nine Inch Nail songs that he had to give Trent Reznor a writing credit and pay him royalties. [source, comments]

TIL during a pool party in Mexico in 2013, eight party-goers were rendered unconscious and one 21-year-old male went into a coma after liquid nitrogen was poured into the pool. [source, comments]

TIL About 'Love Never Dies' the sequel to 'Phantom of the Opera'. Considered a total flop the show closed after little over a year in London's West End and the planned Broadway production never happened. [source, comments]

TIL that all four members of KISS released solo albums on the same day on September 18, 1978. [source, comments]

TIL that the plague bacteria block the infected flea's stomach, causing it to vomit infectious blood back into the victim's wound, and eventually to die of starvation. [source, comments]

TIL in a 1990 World Cup Qualifier, with Brazil leading 1-0 over Chile, the Chilean GK purposely cut himself with a razor blade hidden in his glove. He then pretended to be hurt by unruly Brazilian fans. He was soon caught and permanently banned from playing; Chile was also banned from the 1994 WC. [source, comments]

TIL in 2003, Russ Decker, Wisconsin State Senator, voted for a law to lower the legal blood alcohol limit from 0.10 to 0.08. Then two years later he blew a 0.09 on the breathalyzer test after being pulled over for drunk driving. [source, comments]

TIL about Potoooooooo, a racehorse who had over 25 wins and was named due to mishearing potato as pot-eight-os [source, comments]

TIL that Tupac Shakur was reportedly considered for the role of Jedi Master Mace Windu in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, but he passed away in 1996 before he could audition. [source, comments]

TIL Hurricane Katrina displaced over one million people from the central Gulf Coast to elsewhere across the United States, becoming the largest diaspora in the history of the United States [source, comments]

TIL an Indian transport minister who implemented the 20% ethanol-blended petrol policy across India has a family ethanol business, whose revenue surged from about $2 million to $87 million in a year. [source, comments]

TIL Sprite was originally named "Clear Lemon Fanta" [source, comments]

TIL that a 2016 Daallo Airlines flight survived a mid-air bomb explosion when the bomber himself was sucked out of the plane, and all other passengers survived. [source, comments]