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TIL A Japanese researcher took his own life after his research revealed the presence of Fireblight in native pear trees, resulting in a government cover-up and him being blamed by farmers for their lost revenue

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AAv7 TIL that two men in Louisiana (Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace) have been held in solitary confinement for the last 40 years.
eQNb TIL that in 1995 JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was rejected by 12 publishing companies. And now she is the only billionaire author in the world.
R7Yb8 TIL British suffragettes used toffee hammers to break windows as part of their successful protests for women voting
e0Xx5 TIL that 25 years after the famous lawsuit, McDonald's still serves coffee at the same scalding temperature
AD4Rg TIL the Indian pipe plant, also known as the ghost plant, contains and needs no chlorophyll giving it it's "ghost-like" appearance and allowing it to grow in the darkest parts of forests.