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TIL that a “thing” was a term used to describe a governing assembly in medieval Saxon and Viking cultures. A thing was presided over by law speakers, and free members of the community were called to attend.

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yVloM TIL that piston-engined aircraft still add lead to their fuel. In a deliberate attempt at lessening the perceived impact, high lead is called "low leaded fuel," and leaded fuel is called "very low leaded fuel" despite there being no safe upper limit for lead additives in fuel
xOdb TIL the Supreme Court ruled in 1898 there are only three exceptions to birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment: Those born from foreign leaders or diplomats, on foreign public ships, and from hostile enemy forces occupying US territory.
wowW7 TIL that European settlers killed so many Native Americans that it temporarily changed the global climate
Y7MdW Today I learned that using the word "period" to refer to menstruation is an artifact from the 19th century, when explicitly talking about menstruation was considered taboo, so euphemisms were used instead.
M7GWV TIL in the 1630s, Cardinal Richelieu grew weary of watching his dinner guests pick their teeth with their table knives, grinded down the end, and invented the modern dinner knife