› added 6 years ago

136

TIL Helium was first discovered on the Sun (named from the Greek word 'Helios', meaning "the Sun") through the analysis of the Sun's spectrum, and is the only element in the Periodic Table to be discovered some place other than Earth.

Read more education.jlab.org

via reddit.com

e0GEn TIL that when Bobby Pickett finished the demo of "Monster Mash" in 1962, it was rejected by every major music label. Finally a willing producer was found, and it hit #1 on the Billboard charts, went gold x3 its first week, and has charted in multiple years since.
GKO1 TIL the movie “Ghostbusters” was inspired by actor Dan Aykroyd’s real-life interest in paranormal activity. In addition to his genuine belief in “spirits” (i.e. “ghosts”) Aykroyd is particularly enthusiastic about UFOlogy and openly admits to having had personal experiences with alien beings.
EGv7 TIL that in 1981, law enforcement swept in to stop a band of Neo-Nazis, white supremacists, weapons smugglers, and mercenaries- all armed to the teeth- from invading Dominica and establishing a private state complete with casinos and drug manufacturing facilities.
KYY5Q TIL the John Harvard statue at Harvard University is called the Statue of Three Lies because he didn't found the college, and he wasn't a major benefactor having bequeathed his library of books and a sum of money to the fledgling college. Further, the statue is not of John Harvard.
kJw85 TIL there are 16 times more people buried in the Earth than walking on it. Yikes