› added 6 years ago

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TIL as a response to a theory alleging Joan of Arc's visions was caused by bovine tuberculosis, a historian wrote that if drinking unpasteurized milk could produce such potential benefits for the nation, then the French government should stop mandating the pasteurization of milk.

j6A8j TIL of Thomas “Shang” Draper, a crime lord in late 1800s NYC who ran a prostitution house with removable panels on the walls, making it easy for him and his associates to rob clients.
0wWrL TIL a teen injected himself with mercury at least three times in an attempt to convert his bones to metal after seeing X-Men Origins: Wolverine. He also had intentional multiple spider bites in the past after wanting to become Spider-Man.
YpZyx TIL Simon & Garfunkel's first album was so unsuccessful on the charts that the duo split. Their producer took one of the songs from the album, overdubbed/remixed it without their knowledge or permission, and "The Sounds of Silence" became a hit. The duo made four more albums.
mobY TIL of Joshua Norton. A homeless San Francisco local who declared himself Emperor of the United States, and ruled for 20 years and had over 10,000 people attend his funeral.
Rm68 TIL After Fighter pilot Thomas G. Lanphier, Jr. flew the longest interception mission of WWII to shoot down and kill the Admiral responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbor, he broke radio silence to tell everybody “That son of a bitch will not be dictating any peace terms in the White House”.