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TIL A young Machiavelli was tasked with mediating a feud between two rival families in the town of Pistoia. His suggestion to use force was ignored by superiors, under fear of appearing cruel, so the feud escalated into a brutal civil war. The event was formative for his political thought

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4kDQJ TIL that there will be no Hanukkah in the year 3031, but two Hanukkahs in 3032. This is due to the overlap between the Jewish and Gregorian calendars, as well as the leap month added to the Jewish calendar.
neXK7 TIL in 1943, Stanisława Leszczyńska, a Polish Catholic and professional midwife, was arrested by the Gestapo for aiding Jews. Sent to Auschwitz, she was assigned to work at the camp’s “maternity ward” and spent the remainder of the war delivering three thousand babies in unthinkable conditions
ANwMB TIL that the 1954 film "On the Waterfront" was projected in three aspect ratios: 1.66:1, 1.85:1, and 1.33:1. This was because in 1953, Columbia was moving to the new widescreen format and said that all upcoming films, including On The Waterfront, would be suitable for projection in any aspect ratio.
L7K0 TIL Laverne from Scrubs was only killed off because Bill Lawrence was under the impression that it would be the last season of the show. He promised her actor a role, and cast her as a near identical nurse named “Shirley”.
mxW8M TIL about kyōtei - literally "Boat Race" - which is one of only four 'public sports' that you can legally bet on in Japan. It's been called "Japan's NASCAR". Competitors are randomly given a boat and motor and they then have a period of time where they can tune it.