Denmark's Queen Margrethe II announced her intention to leave the throne in her annual New Year's Eve speech on December 31, 2023. The popular monarch attributed her surprising decision to ill health. She will formally step down on January 14, 2024, and be succeeded by her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik....

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....

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)....

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....

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....

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....

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)....

Australian researchers recently unveiled an exceptionally well-preserved fossil of an ancient spider. The arachnid roamed the continent between 16 million and 11 million years ago. Megamonodontium mccluskyi was unearthed at the McGraths Flat in New South Wales. Once covered with lush rainforests, the site has an abundance of insect and plant fossils that existed during the Miocene era. Many are new to science....

A team of underwater archaeologists led by Franck Goddio has found a submerged Egyptian temple and Greek sanctuary brimming with ancient treasures. Both structures were part of the ancient Egyptian city of Thonis-Heracleion. It was once Egypt's largest port along the Mediterranean Sea. However, a major earthquake and tidal waves caused the entire city to sink in the 8th century AD....

For most Americans, the fall holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving go hand in hand with pumpkins. Some transform the fruit into spooky jack-o'-lanterns, while others use them as decor. Unfortunately, the fascination with the colorful gourds fades soon after the holidays end. Experts estimate that between 164 million to 344 million pumpkins get tossed out and left to rot in landfills every November....

Plastic pollution gets a lot of attention. However, the ever-increasing pile of discarded electronics is not as well-publicized. In 2014, over 49 million tons of toxic "e-waste" ended up in landfills. This includes computers, smartphones, and televisions. If left unchecked, the number is expected to increase to 82 million tons by 2030. Envision Racing hopes to raise awareness about the urgent need to recycle and repurpose our gadgets with a racing car made entirely from e-waste....

The Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, is a vibrant and colorful celebration of life and death and an important part of Mexican culture. The annual holiday, held from November 1st to November 2nd, offers a unique opportunity to remember and honor loved ones who have passed away....

Need inspiration for your Halloween pumpkin? You might want to check out American sculptor and artist Ray Villafane's masterpieces. The two-time winner of the Food Network show Outrageous Pumpkins does not just "carve" the fruits. He transforms them into 3-D sculptures — ghoulish ones, of course!...

A recently discovered sketch of Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet, signed by E. H. Shepard, the original illustrator of the beloved series, could fetch as much as $36,000. The pen-and-ink image depicts Pooh and Piglet walking home after bidding farewell to their friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. It was the final scene before the characters turned back into toys....