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TIL Russia was forced to release ten pirates who had taken over an oil tanker, due to having insufficient legal grounds to detain them. They released them in an inflatable boat without any navigation equipment. Radio contact was lost within an hour. It’s believed that they all perished.

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eplgJ TIL of Mo-99—a radioactive isotope of Molybdenum used in hospitals to produce the radioactive tracer Technetium-99m (for medical imaging). Mo-99's half-life is just 66 hours, and is made commercially in only 4 nuclear reactors around the world, most of which are reaching the end of their life.
e0bnb TIL of Jennet Device, who, in 1612 accused her family and neighbours of being witches. Her testimony alone condemned them to the gallows. She was 9 years old at the time. This also changed the way evidence was given at later trials, including Salem.
D84D TIL Geddy Lee, the bassist for Rush, does not use amps while on stage and instead fills the empty space behind him with unique items such as Maytag dryers filled with Rush t-shirts or rotisserie ovens complete with a chef.
LQdyd TIL Lyndon B Johnson worked 18-20 hour days without breaks, smoked heavily, and used his knowledge of every senator's ambitions, hopes, and tastes to his advantage in securing votes. As a congressman, he was the most powerful majority leader in American history.
YpK4v TIL of Benito "Benny" Agrelo, a 15 y.o. born with a malfunctioning liver, underwent 2 liver transplants, and took 8 different medications 3 times/day since age 8, with major side effects. He stopped the meds, knowing he would die, but the state tried to force him to resume. He won in court and died.