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TIL phosphorous was discovered by a 17th century alchemist trying to turn base metals into gold by boiling hundreds of gallons of urine

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GMKg TIL Harper Lee’s character Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird had a profound effect on the legal profession. He is considered by lawyers to be an example of the honorable attorney. Richard Matsch, the judge who presided over the McVeigh trial, counts Atticus as a major judicial influence.
rN17o TIL of Henry Paget, Earl of Uxbridge, who had his leg blown off by a cannon in the Battle of Waterloo. It was put in a shrine in the garden of the house where he was amputated, becoming a local tourist attraction.
5YPrr TIL There is a place in California where the Dead outnumber the Living by 1000 to 1. Colma, California was founded as a Necropolis in 1924. The population of dead people is over 1.5 million. Also known as "City of the Silent"
6Eb68 TIL the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were revealed as specimens of the popular turtle pet species Red-eared Slider, leading to people keeping them as pets in Great Britain and causing ecological damage due to deliberate/accidental release. The turtle is listed on the IUCN's top 100 invasive species.
RmbQ TIL up to 1 in 5 adults with Down’s Syndrome work paid jobs in America, as compared to only 1 in 100 in Europe.