TIL Canada was once a world leader in weaponizing mosquitos and plague-infected fleas, even surpassing American and British bio-warfare development efforts during WW2
TIL that, when he died in 2008, Heath Ledger —himself a highly ranked chess champion — had been preparing to direct a screen adaptation of The Queen’s Gambit.
TIL Auto-tune was created by Dr. Andy Hildebrand in 1997 and the first song to use the pitch-correcting software on vocals was “Believe” by Cher in 1998.
TIL in the 1880s Lamar Thompson was so disgusted that saloons and brothels were tempting Americans into “vices” and hated the "sinful" behavior of fellow humans who engaged in sex, drinking and going out for “fun” that he invented the roller coaster to distract people from sinning.
TIL Gloria Ramirez died of cancer in the ER. Then 23 of the 37 staff became mysteriously ill which the hospital attributed to mass hysteria. An investigation concluded that Gloria's blood drawn and cooled in the ER broke down to dimethyl sulfate and vaporized, causing their illnesses.
TIL that in the original Grimms' Rumpelstiltskin (1812), when the imp's name was revealed, he fled in surrender, never to be seen again. In 1857, the Grimms rewrote a new, more brutal ending, wherein the Imp, in defeat, plants one foot in the ground, grabs the other, and tears his own body in half.
TIL about "Drinksgiving", the night before Thanksgiving, which produces more people killed in drunk driving crashes than Christmas. It's also known as Blackout Wednesday.
TIL learned about "Ether Frolics" A social gathering in the early 19th Century where partygoers would congregate to sniff ether. It was cheaper than alcohol and easier to come by than nitrous oxide, another favorite.
TIL that Prince John, the inspiration of Robin Hood, raised taxes on the general population to 13% in 1207, which was a factor in the creation of the Magna Carta which limited the king's taxation power among other things