On October 2, 2024, a few lucky skygazers witnessed the Sun transform into a stunning "ring of fire" in the sky. The annular solar eclipse's narrow path, which began in the Pacific Ocean and ended in the Atlantic Ocean, tracked far from land. As a result, it was visible only to about 175,000 people worldwide....

Egyptian archeologists revealed the discovery of a gleaming bronze sword on September 5, 2024. The weapon was marked with the insignia of Ramses II, one of ancient Egypt's most powerful pharaohs. Despite being buried for over 3,000 years, the sword has retained its reflective shine....

Get ready for a rare celestial event! This weekend, our planet will capture a temporary "mini-moon" in the form of a small asteroid called 2024 PT5. This tiny space rock will enter Earth's orbit on September 29, 2024. However, unlike our permanent Moon, which has been with us for billions of years, 2024 PT5 will only be around for eight weeks....

Most people see a doorstop as an everyday object. But for one woman in Romania, it held an extraordinary secret. What she thought was just a simple doorstop turned out to be the largest-known nugget of Rumanite amber, worth over $1 million!...

The Māori people of New Zealand welcomed a new queen on September 5, 2024. Nga Wai Hono i te Po succeeds her father, Kiingi Tuheitia, who died on August 30, 2024, after 18 years as king. The 27-year-old is the youngest child and only daughter of the late king. She was chosen by a committee of 12 Māori leaders. Nga Wai Hono i te Po is only the second woman to lead the Māori monarchy since it was founded in 1858....

A herd of 100 life-sized elephant sculptures have begun their trek across the United States. The "Great Elephant Migration" aims to promote harmony between humans and animals. The project is spearheaded by Ruth Ganesh. She is a trustee of Elephant Family USA and cofounder of The Coexistence Collective, a community of 200 indigenous artists in Southern India....

Hispanic Heritage Month is marked annually in the United States from September 15 to October 15. This national celebration began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week. It was expanded to cover an entire month in 1988. The observance honors the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latin-American communities. This includes those whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America....

Carbon dioxide (CO2), released by burning fossil fuels like oil and coal, is a large contributor to global warming. Switching to renewable energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines can help reduce the harmful emissions. However, phasing out fossil fuels entirely will take time. Meanwhile, companies like Climeworks are developing innovative solutions to reduce atmospheric CO2 levels. On May 8, 2024, the Switzerland-based startup turned on Mammoth, the world's largest direct air capture (DAC) plant....

Hundreds of fans gathered at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, on July 20, 2024, to witness the spectacular fall of over 100,000 dominoes. The exciting event was the grand finale of the museum's two-week-long "Destination Domino" event hosted by domino artist Lily Hevesh....

The Big Basin Redwood State Park in Santa Cruz, California, is home to some of the tallest and oldest redwood trees on Earth. The towering trees reach heights of over 300 feet (91 m) and have an incredibly thick bark. This natural armor usually protects their upper branches and needles from wildfire damage. However, the CZU Lightning Complex Fire that burned 97 percent of the park in August 2020 was so intense that it even scorched these ancient giants....

This summer, Banksy captivated Londoners with a remarkable series of artworks. From August 5 to 13, 2024, the anonymous British street artist revealed stunning animal sketches at various locations around the city....

A mummified adult wolf could offer scientists valuable insights into the late Pleistocene era (129,000 to 11,700 years ago). The animal was buried in thick permafrost for over 44,000 years. It was unearthed by the residents of Sakha, Russia, in 2021. The specimen boasted well-preserved teeth, fur, and internal organs, including the stomach. It was the first complete adult wolf found from the late Ice Age....

On August 22, 2024, Lucara Diamond revealed the discovery of a massive 2,492-carat diamond in Botswana. The gemstone is the second biggest one ever found and the largest one found in the Southern African nation. The largest diamond discovered to date is the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond. It was found in South Africa in 1905....

US gymnast Jordan Chiles is at the center of an unusual controversy. The 23-year-old is being asked to return her Olympic bronze medal due to the timing of an appeal filed by her coach. The chain of events leading to this unprecedented decision unfolded shortly after the individual floor exercise final on August 5, 2024....

Elephants are known for their exceptional intelligence, empathy, and communication skills. A new study suggests they may have another remarkable ability: assigning individual "names" to each other. The mammals are the first non-human species to exhibit this unique capability....

Archaeologists have found 35 glass bottles dating back to the 18th century in George Washington's Mount Vernon home. Twenty-nine bottles were intact and contained perfectly preserved cherries and berries, likely gooseberries or currants. The exciting discovery, announced on June 13, 2024, was made during the excavation of six storage pits in the cellar. The exercise is part of a $40 million revitalization project to preserve the historic Virginia mansion for future generations....

US Vice President Kamala Harris was formally certified as the Democratic Party's presidential nominee for the November election on August 6, 2024. The 59-year-old emerged as the top contender on July 21, 2024, after President Joe Biden decided not to seek a second term. Notably, Harris is the first Black and South Asian woman to be nominated for president by a major political party....

There are numerous meteor showers throughout the year. However, few are as popular, or as reliable, as the Perseids. The "shooting stars" have been zooming across the skies at a rate of about a dozen an hour since mid-July. But the best time to watch them will be from midnight to dawn on August 11, 12, and 13, 2024. That is when the number of meteors will increase sharply to between 50 and 100 an hour. Also, unlike previous years, this upcoming show will not be overshadowed by a bright Moon. This will make it easier to view even the dimmer meteors....

Former US president and Republican nominee Donald Trump has tapped Ohio Senator James David Vance as his running mate for the 2024 presidential elections. The announcement was made on the first day of the Republican National Convention, held in Milwaukee, Minnesota, from July 15 to July 18, 2024. If elected, Vance, 39, will be the nation's youngest vice president since Richard Nixon in 1952. He will also be the only US vice president to have served in the Marine Corps....

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....

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....