Honshu, the largest of Japan's four main islands, was hit by a powerful earthquake at 4:10 pm local time on January 1, 2024. The 7.5 magnitude quake and the ensuing aftershocks triggered tsunami warnings across western Japan, sparked fires, and tore apart roads....

Happy 2024! As is the case each year, countries worldwide welcomed the New Year with dazzling fireworks shows. Here are some spectacular displays that lit up the skies at midnight on December 31, 2023....

With Christmas less than a week away, many people worldwide are getting into the festive spirit. For those living in the United States, this means baking and decorating Christmas cookies, buying gifts for loved ones, and binge-watching holiday classics like Elf and Home Alone....

A 109-year-old Babe Ruth card fetched $7.2 million at an online auction on November 17, 2023. This is the most paid for an item belonging to the famed player and the third-highest price for a baseball card ever. However, it was far less than the over $10 million estimated by New Jersey-based Robert Edward Auctions (REA)....

A Seychelles giant tortoise named Jonathan turned 191 years old on December 4, 2023! To put it in perspective, the reptile was born before the invention of the telephone, postage stamps and photographs. With this milestone, Jonathan extended two previously-held Guinness World Records (GWR). He is the oldest living land animal and the oldest documented chelonian (tortoise, turtle, or terrapin)....

The world's largest iceberg is on the move after being stuck to the ocean floor for 37 years. A23a stretches almost 1,500 square miles (3,885 sq. km) wide, or about three times the size of New York City and its five boroughs. The massive slab of ice weighs over one trillion tons and stands 1,313 feet (400 m) tall. For comparison, the Empire State Building measures 1,250 feet (380 m) from top to bottom....

With the days getting increasingly shorter and colder, it may appear that winter is already upon us. However, the astronomical start of the chilly season in the Northern Hemisphere will not be until December 21, 2023. Often referred to as the winter solstice, it marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. Conversely, Southern Hemisphere residents will celebrate the summer solstice on this day. They will enjoy the longest day and shortest night of 2023....

Dr. Ivan Šprajc has spent the past 30 years looking for Maya cities in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. In 2013, the archeologist and his team found one dating back to the 8th century in the Chactún rainforest. A year later, they unearthed two more cities abandoned over 1,200 years ago. But a massive ancient settlement found deep inside Mexico's Balamkú Ecological Conservation Zone, is the team's most exciting discovery yet....

There are over 30 meteor showers throughout the year. But most of them pale in comparison to the Geminids. Nicknamed the "900-pound gorilla of meteor showers" by NASA, they outweigh other dust streams by factors of between 5 to 500! The "shooting stars" are also easier to see because they go through the skies at about 22 miles (35 km) per second. This is almost half the speed of the Perseid meteors, which zip past at 37 miles (60 km) per second....

Every year, Canada's WestJet Airlines devises a tear-jerking "Christmas Miracle" that provides holiday cheer to unsuspecting individuals. Past "miracles" include surprising passengers with gifts of their choice and delivering care packages to families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic....

Gert-Jan Oskam was just 28 years old when a cycling accident damaged his spinal cord in 2011. The injury resulted in paralysis of his legs and a partial impairment of movement in his arms. Now, thanks to electronic brain implants, the 40-year-old Dutch man can stand, walk, and even climb stairs through just the power of his thoughts....

Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, celebrates the victory of good over evil. The eight-day observance is a festive event with many fun traditions. Though the date of the annual holiday varies, it always falls sometime between late November and December. In 2023, Hanukkah will be marked from sundown on December 7th to sundown on December 15th....

Anti-bird spikes are commonplace in urban cities. The sharp pins and poles fitted on rooftops are meant to prevent birds from perching or nesting on buildings. But in an ironic turn of events, some intelligent birds are ripping out the metal rods and using them to build nests....

What kind of sculpture would five famous artists who lived 500 years apart create if they worked together? That was the challenge two Swedish companies set up for themselves in August 2022. The result is "The Impossible Statue," the world's first sculpture designed with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) software....

Charles Martinet, the beloved voice behind Nintendo's cheerful Italian plumber Mario, has retired. The 67-year-old has been delighting young gamers with catchphrases like "mama mia," "let's a-go," and "it's-a me" for over 25 years. Nintendo made the announcement in late August 2023....

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday are all about purchasing holiday gifts for loved ones. However, GivingTuesday, which will be observed on November 28, 2023, has a more altruistic purpose. "The Global Day of Giving" is marked annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. It encourages people worldwide to "give their voice, time, money, goods, and advocacy to support communities and causes."...

President Joe Biden marked his 81st birthday by partaking in a cherished Thanksgiving tradition on November 20, 2023. The US leader used his executive powers to spare two lucky turkeys named "Liberty" and "Bell" from the Thanksgiving table. The gorgeous toms were named after the famous Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. They will spend the rest of their lives under the watchful eyes of students studying animal science at the University of Minnesota....

A massive pumpkin display at Sunnyfield Farms in the United Kingdom set a new world record for the largest Cucurbita mosaic on October 22, 2023. Cucurbita includes squashes, pumpkins, zucchinis, and some gourds. The 2,081-square-foot (193 square meters) artwork was created to mark the 30th anniversary of Tim Burton's animated movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas....

In late August 2023, over 300 amateur detectives from around the world gathered in the United Kingdom's Scottish Highlands to look for the Loch Ness Monster. The two-day search in the Loch Ness lake, where the creature is said to dwell, was the most extensive one conducted in over 50 years. The investigators used various technologies, including surveying equipment and drones with infrared cameras....

With heavy hearts, officials at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, DC, have bid farewell to its three resident giant pandas. Mei Xiang, 25, Tian Tian, 26, and their 3-year-old son, Xiao Qi Ji, left for China aboard a retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft on November 8, 2023. Upon reaching Chengdu on November 9, 2023, the trio was whisked away to the Wolong Panda Center. After a 30-day quarantine, the mammals will be allowed to mingle with the 150 wild giant pandas at the nature reserve....

On November 23, 2023, most Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving. The secular holiday is observed annually on the fourth Thursday of November. The celebrations usually center around a delicious feast with family and friends. Other fun traditions include participating in "Turkey Trot" runs and parades. But not all countries mark the holiday on the same day or follow the same customs. Here are four variations of Thanksgiving-like festivities from around the world....

Historians have long suspected that Queen Meret-Neith was the most powerful woman in Egypt around 3,000 BC. Now, archeologists have found evidence that indicates she may have been ancient Egypt's first female ruler. Before this, that honor belonged to Queen Hatshepsut (1507 BC - 1458 BC)....

On November 7, 2023, the European Space Agency (ESA) released the first images from its deep space telescope, Euclid. The stunning full-color photos offer the clearest views of our cosmos yet. They are part of the telescope's six-year mission to create an extensive 3D map of the Universe around us. Scientists hope it will help solve the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter that make up 95 percent of our Universe....

Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is one of the major holidays observed by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists. The celebration, which dates back over 2,500 years, is a time of joy, unity, and spiritual reflection. While the dates vary annually based on the Hindu lunar calendar, Diwali usually occurs in October or November. This year, the festival will be marked from November 10 through November 14, 2023....