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TIL Modern Hollywood was started by a group of independent filmmakers who moved to California in the 1910s to get away from Thomas Edison’s total monopoly on all aspects (scripts, cameras, theaters, actors) of the early, east coast film industry.

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MMYb TIL during the Korean War when the US Marines required extra mortar ammunition they would radio for “Tootsie Rolls”; however a rookie radio operator requested an air drop of actual Tootsie Rolls which ended up saving the company from near starvation.
xV160 TIL When Elton John told his parents of his desire to become an entertainer, they tried to steer him towards a more conventional career, like banking. The flamboyant costumes he wore on stage early in his career were a way of ‘letting go’ after his restrictive childhood
N7OKM TIL About the 'Rebecca Riots' in 19th Century Wales. Farmers would paint their faces and dress as women, calling themselves the 'daughters' of Rebecca (a biblical figure). They would riot, protest and launch attacks against landowner's and tollgates, ultimately succeeding in changing the law.
5YLdk TIL of a parasitic fungus that turns ants into 'zombies'
1no4 TIL Homosexuality was still classified as an illness in Sweden in 1979. Swedes protested by calling in sick to work, claiming they felt gay.