Science - The Man Who Put the Pee in Phosphorus

In the 1660's, German alchemist Hennig Brand^Wiki thought he knew the secret to making solid gold: pee. So set was he on these golden ambitions, he dehydrated 1,500 gallons (gallons!) of human urine^Wiki to make it happen. Though pee ultimately failed to produce gold, Brand didn't have to flush all his hard work down the toilet. ​In a surprise twist, he discovered a glowing substance we now call phosphorus^Wiki.