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People first set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped from the Apollo 11 spacecraft and planted an American flag on the moon’s rocky surface. Six NASA lunar missions followed over the…
The National Museum of Brazil, in Rio de Janeiro, was gutted by a fire on September 2. Some 90% of its 20 million artifacts may have been destroyed. The 200-year-old building held the largest collection of historical and scientific relics…
The flag atop the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, D.C., flew at half-mast last week in honor of Senator John McCain, of Arizona. McCain died on Saturday, August 25, after being diagnosed with brain cancer a year ago. He was 81. …
There was once a tree in South Africa so wide it could fit 60 people inside its hollow trunk. The tree reached 62 feet into the sky. It was more than 1,100 years old. But recently, that tree and others…
A toxic algae bloom, or red tide, has killed thousands of animals off Florida’s Gulf Coast and driven people away from beaches. It is the worst red tide in Florida since 2006. Red tides occur when algae, a type of…
Earth’s climate is changing at an unprecedented rate. As a result, storms and droughts are becoming more intense. Temperatures are rising. Polar ice caps are melting. This is causing oceans to rise. Low coastal areas are flooding. Animals are losing…
The flag atop the U.S. Capitol building is flying at half-mast today, in honor of Senator John McCain, of Arizona. McCain passed away on Saturday, August 25, after a yearlong battle with brain cancer. He was 81. Leaders from both…
Dozens of elderly South Koreans are crossing the armed border between the Koreas this week. They are meeting for three days with relatives in North Korea. On August 20, a South Korean woman named Lee Keum-seom, 92, met with her…
A storm is a powerful disturbance of the atmosphere. Thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes are storms. Storms are a common event on Earth and other planets, too. There are about 16 million thunderstorms worldwide each year. That is according to the…
Take a bottle of soda. Shake it really hard. Gas bubbles inside the bottle cause a buildup of pressure. Twist the cap off. Pressure is released. Soda shoots everywhere. A volcanic eruption works much the same way. Pressure builds up…
The world’s largest colony of king penguins has shrunk by 90%, researchers say. Thirty years ago, there were some 2 million king penguins on France’s remote island of Ile aux Cochons. It is located in the Indian Ocean, between Africa…
Stargazers in ancient Greece noticed that during the night, a few bright objects moved among the constellations. They called these objects planetes, meaning “wanderers.” We still call them planets. But our understanding of these celestial bodies has grown since…
French children 15 and under will no longer be allowed to bring smart devices to school. Lawmakers in France voted July 31 to ban cell phones, tablets, and other Internet-connected devices from school grounds. The ban will start in September. …
Lin-Manuel Miranda is a writer, singer, composer, songwriter, rapper and actor, best known for creating and starring in the Broadway musicals In the Heights and Hamilton. Lin-Manuel Miranda was born on January 16, 1980, in New York City. He was…
Hawaii lawmakers are on a mission to save coral reefs. On July 3, Hawaii governor David Ige signed a bill to help. It bans sunscreens containing chemicals that are harmful to reefs. It is the first bill of its kind…
The 2018 FIFA World Cup is off to a roaring start. The international soccer competition is held every four years. It lasts for a month. This year, the competition is held in Russia. The opening games were played on June…
Jayden Hairston was frustrated. More than anything in the world, he wanted to learn how to sing. His elementary school in Yonkers—just north of New York City—didn’t offer the music instruction he needed. So he begged his parents to sign…
Sonia Sotomayor (June 25, 1954—present) made history when she became the first Hispanic U.S. Supreme Court justice. She assumed the role on August 8, 2009. Sonia Sotomayor was born in the Bronx, a borough of New York City. Her…
Race-car driver Danica Patrick is a legend. In 2008, she became the first woman to win an IndyCar race. Now she’s retiring from the track. Patrick’s last race will be at the Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day 2018. During Patrick’s…
For many Americans, spring and summer mean more time outdoors—and lots of bugs. In fact, diseases spread by insect bites have tripled in the United States in recent years. That’s according to a new report by the Centers for Disease…