American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and her fans
may consider 13 a lucky number. However, millions
of people worldwide do not share that sentiment.
Things get even worse for the superstitious when
the date, as will happen this week, coincides with a
Friday. Some of the anxiety surrounding Friday the
13th can be blamed on the namesake movie serie...
American businessman Larry Connor is no stranger
to breaking records. In 2022, he became the first
person to travel to the deepest part of the ocean —
the Mariana Trench — and to outer space — the
International Space Station — within 12 months. The
latter was also the first all-private mission to the
space laboratory.
On September 23, 2023, 26-year-old Tigist Assefa
shattered the Women's Marathon World Record in
Berlin, Germany. The Ethiopian runner completed
the 26.2-mile race (42 km) in 2hrs 11min 53
seconds — 2min 11sec faster than the previous
record set by Brigid Kosgei in 2019. The
achievement is even more impressive when consid...
Columbus Day is celebrated annually on the second
Monday of October. It marks Christopher Columbus's
arrival to the Americas. However, the US federal
holiday, which will be observed on October 9 this
year, has always been controversial.
North America's Great Lakes — Superior, Michigan,
Huron, Erie, and Ontario — were a hub of maritime
activity in the 1800s. Thousands of ships used the
inland waterways to move cargo and passengers
between cities. Among them was a sailing ship
named Trinidad that sank in Lake Michigan about
150 years ago. On September 2, 2023, the Wiscon...
Nero, who ruled over the Roman Empire from 54 AD
to 68 AD, was known for his love of the arts. The
emperor had even purportedly built a private
theater to rehearse his poetry and music. While its
existence had been documented by many Roman
historians, finding the structure had proved elusive.
On July 23, 2023, a team of Italian archeologists re...
Peanut, a 21-year-old chicken, has been making
headlines lately. In March 2023, the bantam hen
from Michigan was crowned the world's oldest living
chicken by Guinness World Records. The hen's
longevity is even more impressive when you
consider that she almost never hatched!
Not a fan of tomatoes? Then, it would be best to
steer clear of Buñol, Spain, in late August. That's
because every year on the last Wednesday of
August, the charming town of just 10,000 residents
becomes center stage for La Tomatina — the world's
largest food fight. As the name suggests, the
exciting event involves lots of tomatoes.
A group of young environmentalists in Montana won
a landmark climate change ruling on August 14,
2023. In a historic first, District Court Judge Kathy
Seeley sided with the youth activists that the state's
government was not doing enough to protect them
from climate change. Here is a rundown of all the
essential details.
