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TIL: Louis XIV became king at the age of four; however, he was initially under the guardianship of his mother. Louis XIV was given the nicknames "Sun King" or "The Great". When he died on September 1, 1715, after 72 years of kingship, he was one of the longest reigning monarchs in modern history.

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LQAG0 TIL an innovative satellite launched in 1962, Telstar 1, was accidentally damaged beyond use by Cold War nuclear bombs. After transmitting the first TV and phone signals and images from space, it broke down due to damage from Soviet & American nuclear tests, but still orbits the earth today.
wLa47 TIL On April 23, 1635, the first public school in what would become the United States was established in Boston, Massachusetts. Known as the Boston Latin School, this boys-only public secondary school was led by schoolmaster Philemon Pormont, a Puritan settler.
E1Po TIL that, in 2003, Lauryn Hill accepted an invitation to perform at a Vatican Christmas concert for the sole purpose of chastising the church for the child molestation scandal. Church leaders walked out as her comments were being translated.
5VrW9 TIL that a paper ball thrown by a fan is displayed in the museum of German football club Werder Bremen. The ball helped Werder Bremen to reach the final of the UEFA Cup in 2009, after it interfered with a backpass by the oppositian, which led to Bremen to score the winning goal in the semi-final
j6M1a TIL an alchemist from the Tang dynasty was searching for an immortality potion and ended up discovering gun powder, which would do the opposite of the sought after potion.