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TIL in 1345 Ciuto Brandini, a lowly worker in the Florentine textile industry attempted to organise his colleagues into a union. He held worker's assemblies and collected tithes to be used for strike funds. After his arrest on sedition charges, his companions went on strike demanding his release

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eG1g TIL in 2007 the I-35W bridge in Minnesota collapsed with a school bus on the deck. As it fell, a truck driver swerved to give them an exit. It cost him his own life but saved over 50 children.
1amZ7 TIL in 1763 the Paxton Boys massacred two villages of Susquehannock Indians. The militia proceeded to march on Philadelphia with the intention of killing every Indian in Pennsylvania. They were met by Benjamin Franklin who helped prevent further slaughter of the peaceful Native Americans
wYO1 TIL SETI scientists keep bottles of champagne on ice wherever they’re observing, just in case
kOdVE TIL Holding your breath too long hurts not because you are oxygen deprived, but because too much carbon dioxide has built up in your blood.
E1OJo TIL there is an evolutionary recent type of parasitic plant, some of which are orchid species, that cannot do photosynthesis anymore. Instead they grow underground for several years before emerging with stems and pale colorless flowers. They obtain all their nutrients by parasitizing mushrooms.