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TIL that Isaac Newton at height of his career gave up science to run the mint in London, where he spent the rest of his life chasing counterfeiters and dabbling in alchemy and mysticism. He died in 1727 at age 84, apparently a virgin.

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9YlZp TIL of Transhumanism,an international movement that believes humans are currently in a transition state, and that future biotechnologies will allow us to drastically enhance our physical and cognitive capabilities and to stop biological aging, therefore essentially making us immortal or "transhuman"
e0dG4 TIL of Joey Deacon, a man with severe cerebral palsy who was introduced to the UK public in 1981 by tv show Blue Peter as part of the Year of the Disabled. His mannerisms started a craze of kids calling each other Joey Deacon when they’d done something stupid that lasted for years.
Yn4G TIL A Frenchwoman, Jeanne de Clisson, became a pirate in the 1300’s for revenge after her husband was beheaded. Selling her lands to buy 3 ships, they were painted black with red sails. Hunting French ships, when she caught nobles, she personally beheaded them with an axe.
rR90y TIL Tasmania's literacy rates are far below that of mainland Australia, with at least half of the state's population unable read or write properly. This is despite a higher teacher-to-student ratio than the rest of the country.
a8080 TIL Eleanor Roosevelt held her own press conferences where only female journalists were allowed. This ensured they kept their jobs during Depression-era layoffs, earning a steady income & professional status.