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Spotlight
Fireworks on the Fourth of July
Fireworks have been part and parcel of U.S. Independence Day, the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, since its first celebration in July 1777.
See also:
Independence Day,
firework
On This Day
Astronomical First
In 1818 Maria Mitchell—the first professional woman astronomer in the United States, noted for her discovery that sunspots are whirling vertical cavities and not, as earlier thought, clouds—was born.
History in Pictures
The Declaration of Independence
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress of the British colonies in North America approved the declaration at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. The document proclaimed that the 13 original colonies of America were “free and independent states.”American RevolutionAge of Revolutions
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Bio of the Day
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman, whose emotional depth and versatility made him one of the most respected performers of his generation, was born this day in 1937. He won an Academy Award for his role in the film Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Spotlight
Spotlight
When Are Volcanoes Safe?
Volcanoes can be harmful even when they’re not spouting lava. Volcanoes have four states: active (has erupted in the past 10,000 years), erupting (is experiencing an eruption), dormant (has the potential to erupt again), and extinct (has not erupted in over 10,000 years). While extinct volcanoes aren’t threatening, the others are unpredictable and may pose danger.
Spotlight
The Importance of the Rosetta Stone
The inscriptions on the Rosetta Stone were the key to unlocking the literature of ancient Egypt.
See also:
Rosetta Stone,
hieroglyphic writing
Spotlight
How Long Is the Amazon River?
The Amazon might be the world’s longest river. Most scientists believe it is at least 4,000 miles (6,400 km) long—still shorter than the Nile, which is about 4,132 miles (6,650 km). Others, however, have asserted that the Amazon is actually much longer. The Amazon’s start and end points have been difficult to determine.
See also:
Amazon River,
Nile River
Spotlight
Earliest Known Flowering Plant Discovered
Montsechia vidalii, an aquatic plant found in Spain, has been identified as the oldest known flowering plant (angiosperm), 130 million years old, with fossils from the Lower Cretaceous.
See also:
angiosperm,
Cretaceous Period
Spotlight
Ten Days That Vanished: The Switch to the Gregorian Calendar
When the Gregorian calendar was implemented in October 1582, 10 days were dropped to bring the vernal equinox from March 11 back to March 21.
See also:
calendar,
Gregorian calendar
Spotlight
Celebrating Women’s History
Women’s History Month is a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture and society. The United States has observed it annually throughout the month of March since 1987.
See also:
National Women's History Month,
women's suffrage
Spotlight
Celebrating African Americans
Black History Month began as “Negro History Week.” Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History created it in 1926. They chose February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. In 1976 it became a monthlong celebration.
See also:
Black History Month,
African Americans
Spotlight
Scientists Discover Feathered Dinosaur Tail in Amber
A sample of amber discovered in Myanmar contained a pristine section of a feathered tail traced to a juvenile dinosaur from the Cretaceous Period.
See also:
amber,
Cretaceous Period
Spotlight
Ancient Roman Coins Found in Japan
Archaeologists found ancient Roman coins among the ruins of Katsuren Castle on Okinawa Island. Several of the coins feature a portrait of Roman Emperor Constantine I.
See also:
Constantine I,
coin
Spotlight
Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.
Beginning in 1970 a number of states and cities made his birthday, January 15, a holiday. In 1983 the U.S. Congress passed legislation making the third Monday in January a federal holiday. The first observance nationwide was in 1986.
Spotlight
What’s the Difference Between Venomous and Poisonous?
The term venomous is applied to organisms that bite (or sting) to inject their toxins, whereas the term poisonous applies to organisms that unload toxins when eaten. With respect to snakes, very few are poisonous, but some, like the black mamba, are venomous.
See also:
venom,
black mamba
Spotlight
From Pirate to Admiral: The Tale of Barbarossa
Barbarossa was a Barbary pirate and later admiral of the Ottoman fleet, by whose initiative Algeria and Tunisia became part of the Ottoman Empire. For three centuries after his death in 1546, Mediterranean coastal towns and villages were ravaged by his pirate successors.
See also:
Barbary pirate,
Barbarossa
Spotlight
A Trillion Tonnes of Antarctica Fell into the Sea
Between July 10 and July 12, 2017, a one-trillion-metric-ton chunk of ice broke away from the Larsen Ice Shelf.
See also:
ice shelf,
Antarctic Peninsula
Spotlight
Earliest Drawings of Volcanoes Discovered?
Researchers from the University of Paris–Saclay in Gif-sur-Yvette, France, have linked a spray-shaped drawing on the wall of the Chauvet–Pont d’Arc cave to volcanic activity that occurred at about 37,000 or 36,000 years ago, the same time the drawing was made.
See also:
Chauvet–Pont d'Arc,
cave art
On This Day
July 31
Milton the Monetarist
July 30
Legendary Bluesman
July 29
Fairy-Tale Wedding
July 28
Great War Begins
July 27
Korean Armistice
July 26
Seizing Suez
July 25
American Realist
July 24
Spying Seductress
July 23
End of Egyptian Monarchy
July 22
Deng’s Comeback
July 21
The Old Man
July 20
Moon Shot
July 19
My Precious
July 18
Madiba
July 17
Republicans v. Fascists
July 16
The Atomic Age Begins
July 15
Artistic Storyteller
July 14
Storming the Bastille
July 13
Corday’s Victim
New & Revised
Peter Navarro
NEW
Virginia Giuffre
NEW