President Ronald Reagan's love for jelly beans was well-known. However, America's 40th leader also had a soft spot for ice cream. In 1984, he issued Proclamation 5219. It declared July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of July as National Ice Cream Day. Americans are urged to celebrate the month "with appropriate ceremonies and activities." This means eating as much ice cream as you can. These fun facts will keep you entertained while you perform your civic duty....

The countdown to the 2024 Summer Olympics has begun. In just one month, on July 26, about 11,000 athletes from 206 nations will gather in Paris, France, for the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad. Here are a few trailblazers ready to make their mark on the world stage....

On July 31, 2022, Jessin Fisher (10), his brother Liam (7), and cousin Kaiden Madsen (9) went fossil-hunting in the Hell Creek Formation in the North Dakota Badlands. The area is rich in dinosaur bones, and the trio hoped to find a few. Little did they know that they were about to stumble upon one of only a handful of juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex (T. rex) skeletons ever found!...

The Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica is the world's largest and widest glacier. The massive ice sheet stretches 80 miles (129 km) across, roughly the size of Florida. The glacier loses about 50 billion tons of ice annually and already accounts for about 4 percent of the planet's current sea level rise. If it were to melt completely, it could raise global sea levels by about two feet (61 cm). This would displace millions of people in coastal communities worldwide. It is no wonder the ice mass has been nicknamed "Doomsday Glacier."...

Claudia Sheinbaum made history on June 2, 2024, when she became the first female president of Mexico. She is also the first person of Jewish heritage to lead this primarily Catholic nation. Sheinbaum's achievement is even more remarkable considering that women in Mexico only gained the right to vote 70 years ago, in 1953....

On June 20, 2024, Northern Hemisphere residents will celebrate the first official day of summer. Also known as the June solstice, it is the day when the North Pole is most tilted toward the Sun. As a result, the Northern Hemisphere will enjoy its longest day of 2024. Conversely, those in the Southern Hemisphere will mark the start of winter with the year's shortest day....

Every year on the last Monday of May, thousands of people from around the world gather at Cooper's Hill in Gloucestershire, England, for the Cheese Rolling competition. This unusual contest requires participants to run, or as is usually the case, tumble, down the steep hill to try to catch an 8-pound (3.6-kg) rolling wheel of cheese....

Juneteenth is observed annually on June 19. The federal holiday commemorates the end of slavery in the United States (US). On this day in 1865, the last enslaved people in America learned they were free....

Most crabs have strong exoskeletons to protect them from predators. However, hermit crabs are born with soft bodies. They have usually lived inside sea shells or old snail shells. But, a recent study by Polish scientists has found that the tiny crustaceans are increasingly turning to trash for refuge....

Orcas, also known as killer whales, are the largest members of the dolphin family. The mammals hunt in pods of up to 40 individuals. They are known for their coordinated attacks on marine animals. But the whales rarely pose a threat to humans....

Looking for an excuse to eat a donut? Then, you will be thrilled to know that June 7, 2024, is National Donut Day. This makes it your civic duty to indulge in the fried treat. The sweet holiday is celebrated annually on the first Friday of June. It was created by Salvation Army volunteers to raise funds for those in need....

Entertainers have readily adapted to new technologies and audience preferences. However, the physical spaces where they perform have largely remained static. Now, Sphere, a groundbreaking new entertainment venue in Las Vegas, Nevada, is shattering this mold....

Scientists have found cures for many types of diseases. However, a guaranteed way to fight cancer has proved elusive. That is because every person's cancer is based on their particular genes. Dr. Catherine Wu and her team at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, aim to change that by developing custom vaccines to fight each person's unique cancer....

Rising sea levels, fueled by global warming, are escalating at an alarming rate, putting coastal communities worldwide at risk. By 2050, experts predict that nearly 300 million people living in coastal areas will face annual flooding. Japan's N-Ark hopes to combat the impact of climate change with an innovative floating city....

Acquiring an old postage stamp for millions of dollars might seem extravagant. But the 1868 Benjamin Franklin Z Grill is no ordinary stamp. It is one of only two of its kind known to exist. One is part of the collection at the New York Public Library. The second Z Grill, held by private collector Bill Gross, will be auctioned on June 14, 2024....

NASA's X-59 aircraft, unveiled in January 2024, hopes to change the way we travel. The innovative plane is designed to fly at supersonic speeds without producing the characteristic sonic boom. The prototype is part of the US Space Agency's Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) mission....

Researchers from the University of Texas (UT) Austin recently announced the discovery of a new aetosaur species. These prehistoric relatives of modern crocodiles, which ruled the world before dinosaurs, came in many shapes and sizes. The heavily armored creatures went extinct around 200 million years ago. However, their fossils can still be found on every continent except Antarctica and Australia....

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is America's oldest and most prestigious dog show. This year's event marked the contest's 148th year. It was held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York, from May 11 to 14, 2024. The event featured 2,500 hopeful pooches from over 200 breeds....

Memorial Day is celebrated annually on the last Monday of May. The federal holiday, which will be marked on May 27, 2024, honors all military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. This includes the men and women in the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy....

Canada is no stranger to wildfires. However, the 2023 wildfire season was the worst on record. Over 6,500 blazes scorched more than 48 million acres of forest across Canada, a 170 percent increase over 2022. The wildfires finally seemed to die down when the snow arrived, bringing relief to affected communities....

As the fashion industry confronts sustainability and environmental challenges, designers are exploring innovative ways to reduce waste and minimize their ecological footprint. Zsofia Kollar, the founder of Human Material Loop, is turning to an unexpected resource to reduce her impact — human hair. The Dutch entrepreneur collects hair cuttings from hairdressers and transforms them into fabric for clothes, curtains, carpets, and furniture....

This past weekend, the Sun let its presence be felt by unleashing a series of massive solar flares. The resulting auroras were visible across the Northern Hemisphere and even parts of the Southern Hemisphere, treating stargazers to a rare and breathtaking spectacle....

Tornadoes can strike the United States year-round, but they are most active from March to July. While they occur nationwide, a region known as "Tornado Alley" is the most susceptible to the twisters. This includes parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, and Ohio....

A Sumatran orangutan named Rakus has stunned researchers by treating a cheek wound with a medicinal plant. The male primate, believed to be about 35 years old, lives in Gunung Leuser National Park in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The protected rainforest is home to over 750 animal species, including 150 orangutans....