r/todayilearned Subreddit Stats and Best Posting Times

What to Post and How to Rank on r/todayilearned

Best Topics & Content Types

r/todayilearned thrives on specific, surprising historical and scientific facts that most people wouldn't encounter in daily life. Top-performing content typically covers obscure historical events, counterintuitive scientific phenomena, or little-known cultural facts with reliable citations. The subreddit's most upvoted posts follow a clear pattern: concrete statements like "TIL that the 'Age of Piracy' only lasted around 80 years" rather than vague topics. Link posts with authoritative sources (Wikipedia, BBC, academic journals) significantly outperform text-only submissions, as the community strictly requires verifiable information. While the rules technically allow images, successful posts almost always include direct links to reputable sources rather than standalone visuals. Historical facts, scientific discoveries, and cultural curiosities consistently generate the most engagement, as evidenced by popular posts about the Boiling Frog myth debunking or Brazil's jungle exile of political prisoners. The community strongly prefers facts that are both specific and surprising—like learning that no woman has run a 4-minute mile—rather than broad overviews of well-known subjects.

Writing Style & Tone

The ideal tone for r/todayilearned is straightforward, factual, and slightly conversational without being casual. Successful posts present information neutrally without personal commentary, as the rules explicitly prohibit opinions and anecdotes. Posts that begin with precise "TIL" statements followed by clear explanations perform best, mirroring the top examples that state facts directly like "TIL that Pope Benedict IX was the only pope to be elected more than once." The community expects academic rigor in sourcing but appreciates accessible language—complex topics should be explained simply without jargon. Humor rarely works well here unless it's inherent to the fact itself, as the subreddit's culture prioritizes information density over entertainment value. The most successful posts sound like a knowledgeable friend sharing an unexpected fact, not a professor lecturing or a influencer trying to be viral. Avoiding exclamation points and emotional language is crucial, as the community values substance over sensationalism.

What Gets Upvoted

Highly upvoted posts in r/todayilearned share several key characteristics: they present genuinely surprising information that contradicts common assumptions, have clear citations from authoritative sources, and avoid anything remotely political or contemporary. Posts debunking popular misconceptions—like the Boiling Frog myth being based on dead frogs—consistently perform well because they provide clear value through myth correction. The community particularly rewards historical facts with concrete dates and specific details rather than vague generalizations. Posts that reference primary sources or academic research tend to gain more traction than those citing secondary sources. Crucially, the fact must be something most readers genuinely wouldn't know—hence why posts about niche historical events like Brazil's Clevelândia exile or corporate structures like The Morning Star Company's boss-free system generate thousands of upvotes. The subreddit's massive size means truly novel information can reach millions, making specificity the key to virality here.

What to Avoid

The most common pitfalls in r/todayilearned involve violating the subreddit's strict content policies. Posts starting with "TIL about..." or "TIL how to..." get removed immediately, as the rules demand specific facts rather than broad topics. Politics in any form—even historical politics if too recent—is strictly forbidden, along with any source published within the last two months. Personal anecdotes like "TIL my grandfather was in WWII" violate the no-anecdote rule. The community also rejects "common knowledge" facts like "TIL water boils at 100°C" as too trivial. Posts requiring link clicks to understand the claim get removed for violating the "titles must stand on their own" rule. Current events, social justice topics, and anything resembling activism will be deleted per the no-soapboxing policy. Even seemingly historical topics can get removed if they connect to modern political issues. The "no misleading claims" rule means posts must present complete context—omitting key details to make a fact seem more surprising will get your post removed.

Posting Tips

Craft titles that begin precisely with "TIL" followed by a complete, self-contained fact that requires no link click to understand—like "TIL the teeth of the limpet are the strongest biological material ever discovered." Always link directly to the most authoritative source available (Wikipedia, BBC, peer-reviewed journals) rather than blogs or news sites. Avoid weekends when posting, as competition is fiercer; midweek mornings tend to have better visibility in this massive community. Don't engage in comment debates defending your post—if mods remove it, accept their decision since they enforce strict rules consistently. Check the archive using Wayback Machine to ensure your fact hasn't been posted recently, as reposts get removed despite the subreddit's size. Never use flairs since this subreddit doesn't utilize them. When writing your post, include the essential citation details in the title itself (e.g., "TIL Brazil marooned 1,000 political prisoners in Clevelândia (1924-26)") since the community expects immediate clarity. Most importantly, verify every claim against the subreddit's wiki rules before posting—41 million members means mods enforce policies rigidly to maintain quality.