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TIL that, despite having sold 40 million records worldwide, Rick Astley abruptly retired from music in 1993, at the age of 27, in order to spend more time with his newborn daughter. He wouldn’t produce any new material for the next 10 years, and it was another 14 before he went back on tour.

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KYQ0B TIL one of the oldest families in Britain to still reside at their original seat are the Fulford family, who have lived at Great Fulford House since the reign of Richard I in 1196.
WkALA TIL of the SS Morro Castle, a cruise ship that suffered a disastrous fire during a nor'easter off NJ in 1934, killing 137. The cause of the fire was never discovered, but some believe it was intentionally started by the Chief Radio Operator, who was later convicted of two murders and a bombing.
rRjD4 TIL that from 1748-1772, potatoes were illegal in France. French people did not trust the new food as they grew underground, and were thought to spread diseases such as leprosy.
mx5Vy TIL in the 1950s, when Polio was an epidemic, people who used iron lungs had to click to signal a nurse when they couldn't breathe after power went out. Then a nurse would come and manually operate the machine.
P7Vn TIL that Joan of Arc was (technically) condemned to death for cross-dressing. The Church made her pledge to no longer wear men’s clothing, but her jailers only let her have men’s clothing to wear; breaking her pledge was defined as heresy, giving the Inquisition its excuse to burn her