Juneteenth is observed annually in the United States on June 19. The federal holiday celebrates the historic journey that led to the end of slavery in the country. On this day in 1865, one of the last groups of enslaved people in the Confederate states — a group in Galveston, Texas — learned they were free....

A dramatic rescue operation for seven men trapped in a cave in the Southeast Asian country of Laos has ended. Five of the men were rescued by divers. But the search for the final two was called off on June 6, 2026, after the cave entrance became too unstable....

Fourteen-year-old Shrey Parikh from California is the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion. His historic victory on May 28 was sealed by the word "bromocriptine." In case you are curious, this is a medicine used to treat hormone-related conditions....

The Tyrannosaurus rex (T. rex) has long been considered the king of the land. Now, scientists have found an equally terrifying ancient sea predator. It ruled the oceans about 13 million years before T. rex roamed Earth. The animal was so powerful that the researchers named it Tylosaurus rex. The word rex means "king." Its full name translates to "king of the knob lizards."...

When you think of rats, "hero" is probably not the first word that comes to mind. But Magawa was no ordinary rodent. From his birth in 2013 to his passing in 2022, this African giant pouched rat helped save hundreds of lives in Cambodia by sniffing out hidden landmines. On April 3, 2026, Magawa was honored with a seven-foot (2.1 m) stone statue in the city of Siem Reap. The unveiling was timed to coincide with the International Day for Mine Awareness on April 4....

An 18-wheeler made history on April 29, 2026, when it completed a fully autonomous commercial delivery along a Texas highway. The truck traveled 231 miles (372 km) from Houston to Dallas. This was not the first driverless truck delivery in the United States. However, previous trips relied on remote human operators or took place on private roads. This journey was handled entirely by the truck's onboard AI system from start to finish along a public highway....

An international team of scientists has successfully retrieved the longest sediment core from beneath an Antarctic ice sheet. The 748-foot-long (228 m) sample of rock and mud offers a geological record spanning roughly 23 million years. Researchers hope these ancient layers will reveal how the region responded to past warming periods. This data could help improve predictions about future climate change....

The FIFA Men’s World Cup will return to North America in 2026 for the first time since 1994. Played across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the tournament will be the first to feature 48 national teams, up from 32 in previous World Cups. These teams will play 104 matches over 39 days, making it the biggest World Cup in history....

Since late March 2026, millions of bright blue creatures have been washing ashore on the US West Coast, from California to Washington. While they look like jellyfish, these organisms are a type of zooplankton called Velella velella. The word comes from the Latin vēlum, meaning "sail."...

Mount Everest is the highest mountain on Earth, standing at 29,029 feet (8,849 m) above sea level. Located on the border between Nepal and Tibet, its extreme altitude and unpredictable weather make it one of the most dangerous places on the planet. Despite the risks, hundreds of climbers attempt to reach its summit every spring....

Modern crocodiles are powerful, heavy reptiles. They spend much of their lives along riverbanks, waiting to ambush prey. But their ancient relatives looked and lived very differently. One example is Sonselasuchus cedrus (S. cedrus). This recently discovered crocodile species lived about 215 million years ago during the Late Triassic Period....

Need an excuse to eat a donut? Then you will be pleased to know that June 5, 2026, is National Donut Day. This sweet holiday is celebrated every year in the United States on the first Friday in June. It was created in 1938 by The Salvation Army to raise funds for those in need....

A farm near Rena in eastern Norway has become the site of the largest hoard of Viking Age coins ever found in the country. The treasure came to light on April 10, 2026, when metal detectorists Rune Sætre and Vegard Sørlie uncovered 19 silver coins in a field. Realizing they may have found something important, the duo contacted county archeologists....

A tiny insect that lived about 100 million years ago has been given a name inspired by Stray Kids, a South Korean boy band. The newly described species, Carcinonepa libererrantes (C. libererrantes), dates back to the Cretaceous Period. This is the time when dinosaurs still roamed Earth....

History was made at the 2026 London Marathon, as two runners finished in under two hours for the first time in an official race. Sabastian Sawe crossed the finish line at 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds. Yomif Kejelcha followed just 11 seconds later at 1:59:41. Meanwhile, Tigst Assefa set a new women-only world record, finishing in 2:15:41. While many factors contributed to these performances, all three athletes shared one key advantage. They all wore the adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 shoes....

On May 25, 2026, Americans will observe Memorial Day. The federal holiday honors members of the United States Armed Forces who died while serving their country. This includes those in the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy....

A humanoid robot in Seoul, South Korea, was recently made an honorary Buddhist "monk." On May 6, 2026, the 51-inch (130 cm) tall robot took part in a special ceremony at Jogyesa Temple, Seoul’s main Buddhist temple. The robot wore traditional robes and received the Buddhist name Gabi, which means "mercy" in Korean. The temple clarified that Gabi is not a real monk. Instead, it will serve as a high-tech mascot during the celebrations leading up to Buddha’s Birthday on May 24....

For more than two decades, Joe Macken spent every spare minute building a miniature version of New York City in his basement. The 63-year-old truck driver's handmade model is now on public display at the Museum of the City of New York....

Most ant colonies are built around a single queen that lays all the eggs. Around her, thousands of female workers build and maintain the nest, gather food, and care for the young. There is also a small number of males. Their only role is to mate with the queen before they die. However, Temnothorax kinomurai (T. kinomurai) follows a completely different strategy....

Astronomers have made a surprising discovery in the Kuiper Belt, a frigid region of space beyond Neptune. A small icy rock named 2002 XV93 has been found to have its own atmosphere. This is unexpected because the object is only about 310 miles (500 km) wide. That is about seven times smaller than our Moon. Usually, an object that small does not have enough gravity to hold onto gases. They simply drift away into space....

A 58-year-old software engineer in Paris, France, turned a $117 (€100) ticket into a Pablo Picasso painting. Ari Hodara learned about the "1 Picasso for 100 Euros" charity raffle during a dinner at a local restaurant. He bought one ticket and promptly forgot about it....

An autonomous robot made history on April 19, 2026, when it beat 12,000 human runners and 300 fellow robots in a half marathon at China’s Beijing E-Town. The aptly-named Lightning pulled away early and never slowed down. It finished the 13.1-mile (21.1 km) race in just 50 minutes and 26 seconds. The top human finisher, Zhao Haijie, crossed the line about 10 minutes later....

Two massive wildfires in Southern Georgia have destroyed at least 125 structures, forced hundreds of evacuations, and sent smoke across much of the southeastern United States. The fires began in mid-to-late April and have burned more than 55,000 acres combined. That is an area larger than Washington, DC....

Farmers in Gabon, West Africa, often wake up to find their farms raided by elephants. In some cases, the animals feed on the leaves and stems of plants, but leave the fruit behind. Steeve Ngama, a local conservation scientist, was curious about this unusual behavior. He decided to investigate....