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TIL that Jane Pierce, the wife of President Franklin Pierce, was so heartbroken at the loss of their son, Benjamin, that for nearly two years, she remained in the upstairs living quarters of the White House, spending her days writing letters to her dead son.

XEZEQ TIL about Victoria Woodhull, the traveling psychic that gave American tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt advice on investing in the gold market. Following her advice, Vanderbilt made a profit of $1.3 million, withdrawing just before the gold market crash of Black Friday on September 24, 1869.
R5NE9 TIL The eerie "Number Stations" are shortwave radio stations that broadcast cryptic messages, often consisting of strings of numbers or coded words. These stations have been transmitting since the Cold War era and continue to baffle listeners as their purpose and intended audience remain unknown.
m1VRE TIL Mount Everest is named after Sir George Everest despite him having zero connection to the mountain (he never even saw it) and against his own wishes. He objected to the naming on the grounds that "Everest" could not be easily written in Hindi nor pronounced by the local people.
16rbP TIL: when awarding the 1987 Nobel prize in chemistry to a dr. Donald Cram, the committee accidentally phoned up Donald Cram, a Californian carpet cleaner with the same name.
kDm7 TIL of James M. Hinds, the first member of the United States Congress killed while in office, who was shot by a Klu Klux Klan member in 1868 en route to a campaign event for future President Ulysses S. Grant. Hinds was known for his support for voting rights for African Americans.