› added 6 years ago

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TIL that Alexander Fleming, discoverer of the miracle drug, Penicillin, almost gave up on it entirely because it was very hard to extract. It was only with the help of Sir Howard Florey and Ernst Chain, whom developed a method of mass production, could penicillin be made available to millions.

8Gw8 TIL that In the early 20th century there were approximately 4,000 carousels throughout the United States. By the 21st century that number had been reduced to 150.
JYg7l TIL during WWII, if a US submarine sank all the targets it engaged, it was considered a "clean sweep" and a broom was attached to the periscope to celebrate their accomplishment
M7LnA TIL in 1998, Gerald Blanchard parachuted onto an Austrian castle at night to steal the jewel "Star of Empress Sisi." He swapped it with a gift shop replica, and the theft wasn’t noticed for 2 weeks. His bold stunt and attention to detail made it one of the most daring heists in modern history.
VB7VZ TIL In 2010, Greg Fleniken was found dead inside his locked Texas hotel room. He had no obvious external injuries but massive internal damage. His death was ruled a homicide. After an 8-month investigation, it was found that a drunk guest in the next room accidentally shot Fleniken in the scrotum.
0wrgR TIL of a man named Garry Hoy who died trying to prove to a bunch of students that the glass wall on the 24tn storey of the building he worked in was unbreakable. He threw himself at the glass wall which didn't break but the window frame gave way and he fell to his death.