On April 23, 2025, the Philadelphia Zoo introduced four female hatchlings of the critically endangered Western Santa Cruz Galápagos tortoises to the public. The new arrivals were named Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia — after characters from the iconic television series The Golden Girls. They are the first of their kind to be born at the zoo in its 150-year history. Prior to this, there were only 44 Western Santa Cruz tortoises in US zoos, including three at Philadelphia....

Just when it seemed every color under the sun had been named, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have identified a new one. Called “olo,” this shade lies outside the normal range of human vision. It can only be seen under specific conditions using a laser. The five people who have seen "olo" describe it as a "blue-green of unprecedented saturation."...

Sharks have always been considered silent swimmers. Unlike most fish, these top ocean predators lack sound-producing organs. But recent research suggests this might not be true for all sharks. At least one species produces noise, challenging our understanding of these stealthy hunters....

A glowing green comet is captivating skywatchers across the Northern Hemisphere. Comet C/2025 F2 (SWAN) was first spotted by amateur astronomer Michael Mattiazzo on March 29, 2025. He discovered it while looking through images from the Solar Wind Anisotropies camera aboard NASA's Solar Heliospheric Observatory. Since then, the comet has been seen multiple times with the help of telescopes....

A powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar on March 28, 2025. The magnitude 7.7 tremor devastated Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city. As of March 31, officials have confirmed more than 1,700 deaths. Over 3,400 are injured, and 139 people are still missing....

A day before his 37th birthday, Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry became the first NBA player to reach 4,000 career three-pointers. The milestone shot came in the third quarter on March 13, 2025, during a game at San Francisco's Chase Center against the Sacramento Kings. The Warriors went on to win, 130-104, in front of a roaring home crowd....

Running a single marathon is hard enough for most people. Now, imagine doing it seven times on seven continents in less than 168 hours — or seven days. That is exactly what the annual World Marathon Challenge dares participants to accomplish. As if that were not enough, they also compete for the fastest total time across all seven races....

When NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore launched for the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Boeing’s Starliner on June 5, 2024, they expected to be back within eight days. However, concerns about the spacecraft's safety extended their stay at the ISS for nine months. The astronauts finally returned to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon on March 18, 2025....

The NCAA Division I men's and women's basketball championships are among the most widely watched collegiate sporting events in the United States. These games transform even casual basketball fans into loyal supporters of teams they may have never followed before. Here is everything you need to know about what is popularly known as "March Madness."...

A holiday dedicated to a math constant might not sound thrilling. But Pi ("π") Day, celebrated annually in the US on March 14 (3/14), is an exception. The festivities usually start with pi-themed activities to celebrate the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter (approximately 3.14). But they almost always end with a delicious slice of pie....

St. Patrick's Day, celebrated annually on March 17, is a lively holiday that honors the most famous of Ireland's three patron saints. Though widely known for its parades, shamrocks, and everything green, the day's roots are steeped in history....

California’s famous bald eagle couple, Jackie and Shadow, are proud parents of triplets. The first eaglet hatched late on March 3, 2025. The second followed shortly after in the early hours of March 4. The third and final eaglet popped out of its eggshell four days later, on March 8. These are the couple’s first successfully hatched chicks since one named Spirit emerged three years ago....

On March 9, 2025, most Americans will begin Daylight Saving Time (DST) by moving their clocks ahead an hour. The time change will result in a loss of an hour of sleep or free time on Sunday. However, it will allow for longer days during the upcoming spring and summer months....

Ramadan is the ninth and most sacred month in the Islamic lunar calendar. During this month, archangel Jibril revealed the first five verses of the Quran — Islam's holy text — to Prophet Muhammad. The start of the holy month is determined by the appearance of the new crescent moon. This year, Ramadan is expected to begin at sundown on or around February 28, 2025....

Israel and Hamas signed a ceasefire agreement on January 15, 2025. It marks the first step in ending the 15-month conflict, which has killed thousands and caused widespread devastation in Gaza. The United Nations estimates that 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents have been displaced by the war....

When a giant, dolphin-like animal washed ashore a beach in Otago, New Zealand, locals alerted the Department of Conservation (DOC). Upon arrival, the experts realized the 16-foot (5-meter) mammal was no dolphin. It was a spade-toothed whale, the rarest whale species known to science....

Since early January 2025, multiple large wildfires have erupted in and around Los Angeles (LA), California, tearing through dry vegetation and destroying entire neighborhoods. As of January 15, 2025, more than 12,000 homes, businesses, schools, and other structures have been destroyed. At least 25 people have died, and more than 100,000 have been forced to flee their homes. Many of these fires are still uncontained. Here is what we know so far....

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, observed annually on the third Monday of January, honors the life and legacy of the American civil rights leader. The federal holiday, which falls on January 20 this year, is designated as a national day of service. It encourages Americans to volunteer and help improve their communities....

Kasanka National Park in Zambia, Africa, is home to an unlikely natural phenomenon — the world’s largest mammal migration. Each year, from October to December, millions of straw-colored fruit bats from across Africa converge on this evergreen swamp forest. These nocturnal mammals spend their nights feasting on wild fruits in the surrounding farmlands and their days resting in the forest. This cycle continues daily until January when the bats disperse and return to their respective habitats across the continent....

For many in the United States, Christmas is a time for baking and decorating cookies, finding the perfect gifts for loved ones, and rewatching beloved classics like Elf and Home Alone. However, Christmas traditions vary greatly from country to country. Here are some unique and fascinating holiday customs from around the world....

A rocket built by students at the University of Southern California (USC) Rocket Propulsion Lab (RPL) has shattered a 20-year record. Aftershock II, launched from Nevada's Black Rock Desert on October 20, 2024, reached an altitude of 470,000 feet (143.3 km). This was 90,000 feet (27.4 km) higher than the previous amateur rocket altitude record of 380,000 feet (115.8 km). It was set by the Civilian Space eXploration Team’s GoFast rocket in 2004....

Hanukkah, one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays, is a joyous eight-day winter festival. It begins on the 25th day of Kislev, the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar. This usually falls between late November and late December. In 2024, Hanukkah celebrations will start at sundown on December 25, coinciding with Christmas Day, and conclude on January 2, 2025. This overlap of the two holidays last occurred in 2005 and will not happen again until 2035....

On November 1, 2024, Aron Fowler and his friends were at Ocean Beach, just south of Denmark in Western Australia, when they saw an emperor penguin walking toward them. This aquatic flightless bird had swum over 2,000 miles (3,218 km) from its usual habitat in the icy waters off the Antarctic coast. It was the first recorded sighting of an emperor penguin in Australia....

November is Native American Heritage Month in the United States. It honors the rich cultures, traditions, histories, and contributions of Native American and Alaska Native communities. Here are three inspiring Indigenous leaders who have made meaningful impacts in their respective fields and communities....