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TIL J.K. Rowling’s clinical depression was the inspiration for the Dementors in Harry Potter. The soul-sucking creatures that takes away your happiness.

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rOad TIL people believed that sufferers of Williams Syndrome, who have charming & extraordinarily kind personalities, had extraordinary, even magical powers. The word ‘elfin’ was used to describe their facial features. This is believed to be the origin of elves, fairies & 'wee folk’ in English folklore.
P1gxe TIL of Snap-dragon, a parlour game from the 16th century. In a dark room, brandy was heated and placed in a wide shallow bowl; raisins were placed in the brandy which was then set alight. The object was to snatch the raisins and extinguish them in your mouth. Kids often burned their hands & mouths.
JYV7k TIL the movie Die Hard was based on a book "Nothing Lasts Forever" where the main character is depicted as a disturbed hero from his Second World War fighter pilot days, and it is hinted that if he never got involved, fewer people might have been killed. At the end, he likely dies from his wounds.
4XO6a TIL As of 2016, Marie Curie is the only person to have won Nobel Prizes in two different scientific disciplines; Physics and Chemistry.
Xwrk TIL that modern ovens have a safety override that allows them to run continuously rather than automatically shutting off. This feature is for Orthodox Jews observing Sabbath who aren’t permitted to push buttons.