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TIL that the Komusō were Japanese monks who symbolized their absence of ego by always wearing baskets on their heads.

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yQ6Ma TIL of Shennong, the Chinese God of Agriculture. Once a mortal man, he invented agriculture and travelled the world to eat every plant in existence to determine to his people which ones are edible, medicinal, and/or poisonous. He eventually poisoned himself, but his deeds raised him to Godhood
ANZDa TIL there was once a project to build a canal across Florida to shorten the route between the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. It was about half completed when President Nixon cancelled it for environmental reasons.
lVma TIL When painting the Mona Lisa,“to keep his subject relaxed and entertained, Da Vinci had six musicians to play for her and installed a musical fountain invented by himself. Different, beautiful works were read out loud and a white Persian cat and a greyhound bitch were there for playing with.”
BrQbd TIL about the Grafton castaways, a real-life Gilligan's Island. Shipwrecked for 18 months in the Auckland islands in 1864, the 5 men lived in a thatched hut complete with glass windows and bookshelves. They built a forge to work metal, tanned leather, made soap from seashells, and even brewed beer.
9wKGB TIL that Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia, a Venetian noblewoman, was the first woman who earned the degree of "doctor of philosophy". However, Catholic church and the University of Padua refused to get a degree in theology, which she originally wanted. She died six years later.