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TIL: The Virgin Mary is the only woman mentioned by name in the Quran.

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XEWrD TIL that San Bernardino County, the biggest county in the contiguous United States, is bigger than the Netherlands, while Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area in Alaska is bigger than Germany or Japan
nWEA7 TIL that the Abu Simbel temples are so far south of Egypt that they are only 20 kilometers from the border with Sudan
lopa1 TIL: Viruses evolve differently to adapt to their mode of transmission. A water-borne virus (e.g. cholera) is virulent because fecal matter can transmit to care-givers. OTOH, droplet-borne viruses (flu, SARS) become less virulent over time to create more ambulatory carriers for transmission.
5o8B TIL that after needing 13 liters of blood for a surgery at the age of 13, a man named James Harrison pledged to donate blood once he turned 18. It was discovered that his blood contained a rare antigen which cured Rhesus disease. He has donated blood a record 1,000 times and saved 2,000,000 lives.
M7xLa TIL that Spain cheated in the Paralympics, sending multiple players without disabilities to the games