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4

TIL that Charles Purvis was the first African-American physician to attend a sitting president of the United States when he attended President James Garfield after he was shot in July 1881.

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1aDWW TIL that Robin Williams wanted to play the role of Rubeus Hagrid in the film adaptation of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". However, Williams was turned down due to a "British actors-only" hiring edict.
7rrj7 TIL on July 5th 1916 the no.2 construction battalion was created and the only predominately African canadian battalion since confederation. It allowed black men who were previously turned away to enlist.
EMJP TIL a sleeping pilot awoke to see Venus in the night sky, mistook it for an oncoming plane and dove the plane down. Unsecured passengers were thrown against the ceiling.
84YX TIL in the 1971 film “Wake In Fright”, a visitor is trapped in an Outback town awash with booze and depression. At a special screening a Australian audience member stood up and yelled “That’s not us!” to which a cast member yelled back “Sit down, mate. It is us.” The once-lost movie is on YouTube.
QJRld TIL there was a pandemic in the early 20th century that caused life-long stupor and Parkinsonism in survivors, with many sleeping during the day and waking at night. It resulted in the deaths of millions of people worldwide. Called "Sleeping Sickness", the causative agent has never been found.