The Nordic country of Finland has always been at the forefront of education reform. Finnish students don't have to worry about being tardy, homework or standardized tests. They get a 15-minute recess every hour and attend school fewer days than kids in most developed nations (not America). Since February 2015, students have not even had to learn cursive handwriting....

Today the world will celebrate Earth Hour. This means that millions of people across twenty-four time zones and six continents will switch off all lights and turn off all electronics for an hour, from 8.30-9.30 pm local time. While it may seem trivial, this small action will make more than a symbolic difference in our battle against climate change....

On Friday March 27th, five-year-old Seth Lane will undergo a bone marrow transplant - his second one in four and a half years. To show support and raise awareness of the Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) disease the young boy suffers from, his family has one simple request. They want everyone to wear Seth's favorite color yellow, and post pictures Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, with the hashtag #WearYellowForSeth....

...

It's time to tuck away those black and blues that you have been donning all winter and get some green on! That's because Tuesday March 17th is St. Patrick's Day, which means that those not sporting the color will have to endure painful pinches! Of course this fun holiday is also about searching for four-leaf clovers and leprechauns that can lead you to gold. So how did the death anniversary of a once obscure saint who was not even Irish by birth, result in all these fun traditions? Read on....

It sounds like the plot from a National Treasure movie, but this time, the discovery of an ancient city in Central America is real! On February 25th, researchers emerged from La Mosquitia, a very remote jungle area of Honduras, with some incredible news. They had been able to locate the mythical “White City,” rumors of which have persisted since the 16th Century....

Fifty years ago, on Sunday, March 7th, 1965, six hundred civil rights activists gathered at the Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma, Alabama to start a peaceful 54-mile trek to the state capitol in Montgomery. The activists were upset at the wrongful death of Marion resident Jimmy Lee Jackson and the denial of their constitutional right to vote and planned to take their cause directly to Alabama Governor George Wallace....

On Sunday, March 8th, thousands of people made their way to Tokyo's Mt. Takao to observe a unique tradition - watching practitioners of the Shugendo religion walk across a path of smoldering embers....

Every year, high school seniors across the country prank their teachers and principals. Some pranks are funny, others borderline cruel, but few are as heartwarming as the recent one pulled by the students of North High School in Kansas....

...

With winter drawing to a close, at least according to the calendar, it is time for North Americans to "spring forward." This means that on Sunday March 8th, most residents will move their clocks ahead by an hour. Known as Daylight Saving Time, this age-old ritual dates all the way back to World War I....

Asian countries like China, Thailand, and Vietnam are teeming with ancient statues of Buddha. Some are famous for their size, others because they are carved from solid gold and precious stones. However, very few can lay claim to being the final resting place of a 1,200-year-old mummified monk....

Though the 2015 winter has been brutal for many East Coast cities in the United States, few have had it as bad as Boston. The city was bombarded by an astounding 7.5 feet of snow, caused by four blizzards that rammed through the area in just three weeks. With spring still a few weeks away, the foul weather is not expected to let up anytime soon. While the dreary prospects would be enough to dampen the spirits of most, hardy Bostonians have opted to embrace the excess white fluff and enjoy it in some unusual ways....

When Italy's Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, it buried not only the city of Pompeii, but also the nearby resort town of Herculaneum. In 1752, an excavation team discovered a large number of papyrus scrolls inside an entombed Herculaneum villa. Though the exterior of the scrolls that were rolled up for storage are carbonized and resemble pieces of charred wood, the interior is remarkably well preserved....

Though there are numerous dog shows held all around the country, none is as prestigious as the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Now in its 139th year, the "Super Bowl" of the canine world, is America's oldest dog show. This year's event which was held at New York City's Madison Square Garden from February 17-18th attracted 3,000 hopeful pooches representing over 190 dog breeds....

Like most Asian countries, China has numerous festivals. However none is celebrated with as much enthusiasm as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, which begins on Thursday, February 19th. The age-old tradition that will usher in the year 4713, was started to celebrate the advent of spring. Today it is the longest and the most significant of all Chinese festivals....

At first sight Whittier, which lies 65 miles southeast of Anchorage, looks just like any other picturesque town in Alaska. However, look closer and you will notice that there are no cute little homes scattered around. The only structures you will see are a few buildings, the most prominent ones being the Buckner Building and the Begich Towers....

As our world goes increasingly digital, kids are spending an inordinate amount of time with their electronic devices - smartphones, computers and tablets. This has raised concern among experts who believe that this habit is detrimental to children's well-being. Now the government of one country has taken an unusual measure to try curb this "harmful" activity....

On February 26th, the five members of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will vote on the important issue of Internet neutrality. So why should you care? Imagine this scenario: You are trying to access your favorite website, video game or movie, only to find that it is blocked unless you pay extra! That could very well become a reality if Net neutrality is not maintained....

Frank Gehry is famous for his offbeat architectural designs like the enormous glass sails of the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris and the titanium fish scales of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. His latest building, the first in Australia, is as radical - so much so that critics have likened it to a crumpled brown paper bag....

The next time you hear someone complaining about their "horrendous" commute you may want to tell them about Detroit resident James Robertson, whose daily round trip journey to and from work is an astounding 46 miles. Not impressed? How about if we tell you that about 21-miles of it is completed on foot!...

February 2nd was Groundhog Day. This meant that woodchucks (and other animals) all across North America revealed their predictions about the length of this year's winter. Among them were legendary weather forecaster Punxsutawney Phil and rising superstar, Staten Island Chuck....

While most of us want to help those in need, we are often constrained by our own finances. Now a Philadelphia man is demonstrating that sometimes it takes as little as a slice of pizza, to make a big difference in a person's life....

Mention the Indian subcontinent and one of the first things that comes to mind is the Taj Mahal. Located in Agra, the mausoleum that is widely hailed as the "Jewel of Muslim art in India", was built in the 1600's by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Intricately crafted from pure white marble, the masterpiece that took about 22 years to complete, is considered one of the seven wonders of the modern world and visited by millions of people each year....