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TIL H.H. Holmes, a 19th-century serial killer, built the "Murder Castle" in Chicago during the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. The hotel had soundproof rooms and hidden passages, allowing Holmes to lure and brutally murder unsuspecting guests, primarily young women.

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neBm9 TIL despite being one of the most common elements on Earth, aluminum was hard to isolate until the 1800s. It wasn't widely used for everyday things like coins and foil until the 1950s and 60s. At one point in history, it was more valuable than gold
Men8m TIL about rogue waves which for centuries, scientists believed were a myth, despite eyewitness accounts from returning mariners. The first real measurement only occurred on Jan 1, 1995 where it was recorded on an oil-drilling platform off the coast of Norway.
GAPRE TIL: In the 15th century, an engineer named Orban offered to build a huge cannon for Constantinople. After they turned him down, he offered his services to the Ottomans who then used his cannon to attack Constantinople.
epPB5 TIL that Al Capone wasn’t charged for murder, theft, or illicit drugs…he was convicted for unpaid taxes that amounted to $215,000
MrZ7 TIL there is a type of hysteria that affects people living in the Arctic, called pibloktoq. The affected person usually shouts unintelligibly, tears off their clothes and runs around naked – despite frigid temperatures – before collapsing, sleeping, and then recovering.