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TIL the name Gretchen is not a common stand-alone given name in German-speaking countries but a colloquial diminutive of Grete - from Margarete. Gretchen as a given name is mainly prevalent in the United States

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vPwXL TIL legendary session bassist Leland Sklar put a switch on his bass that does nothing. He calls it the "producer switch" — when a producer asks for a different sound, he flips the switch (making sure the producer can see), and carries on. He says this placebo has saved him a lot of grief.
dDRod TIL that in 1933, FBI Director John Edgar Hoover learned of a namesake who had failed to pay a debt of $900 to a store in Washington. As Hoover was particular about paying his bills on time and so did not want to be associated with this disreputable behavior, he changed his name to "J. Edgar Hoover"
l7n7K TIL that the octane rating you see at the fuel pump isn't the percentage of octane in your fuel. It's simply a measure of its resistance to engine knock in comparison to the isooctane standard.
kOpA5 TIL that “moonbows” are a natural phenomenon that occurs when (1) the moon is close to full, (2) rain is falling opposite the moon, and (3) the moon is low. Since the moon is the only source of light, the lunar rainbow will appear monochromatic to the naked eye. (More links in comments)
dDZ0B TIL Pad thai was mostlikely invented in the 20th century and was promoted by the Thai government as a way to save on rice following the Second World War. Pad thai has since gone on to be a national dish of Thailand.