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TIL of the existence of giant viruses. Their sizes rival that of some bacteria (1.5-2uM) and they encode thousands of unknown genes. One of the largest was discovered and revived in 2014 from 30,000 year old Siberian permafrost, revealing thawing permafrost as a reservoir of ancient giant viruses.

Read more pnas.org

via reddit.com

gr5Zy TIL that the creator and first admiral of the Argentine navy was an Irishman. William Brown is considered a national hero in Argentina, with more than 1,200 streets named after him.
5VmlB TIL that globally, we produce over 9,900,000 tons of butter a year, and India produces 3,797,550 of that, making it the largest butter producer in the world (via Atlas Big). The United States, which comes in second place, makes less than half that amount each year, with Pakistan coming in third.
X0YjE TIL that Jeanne de Clisson (1300-1359) was a pirate and privateer, called the Lioness of Brittany. She embarked in revenge for the execution of her husband, ordered by the French King. She sailed across the English channel looking for French commerce ships and called her flagship "My Revenge".
xVEB1 TIL The eldest son of Genghis Khan, Jochi, may not have been his. Khan's first wife was kidnapped and found 8 months later, pregnant. Khan treated him as his own, but doubt in legitimacy led to Ögedei as the heir.
kO474 TIL that logo of the popular Japanese rock band, Greeeen is of a mouthful of teeth because the members are actual dentists irl. They have never shown their faces in the public and their identities are still unknown to protect their dentistry careers.