Author: Lisa Mungovan

12-year-old Sean Lewis, broke a world record, for time spent swinging on a swing set. The New York boy has always enjoyed swinging, so he spent 36 hours doing what he loved. Sean was allowed to take a 20 minute break every 4 hours, to use the bathroom and take a power nap.

Over the last 2 weeks, the US military has flown over 117,000 people to safety, from Afghanistan. One of those flights, carried a pregnant woman who gave birth in the airplane. The massive C-17 plane was called Reach 828, so the baby girl was named Reach, in honor of the aircraft that rescued her.

Since he was 12 years old, Fionn Ferreira, has been thinking about the problem of microplastic pollution in the ocean. The Irish student won Google’s International Science Fair and $50,000, by creating a liquid magnet of iron oxide and vegetable oil. The solution attracts tiny particles of plastic, leaving the water clean and clear.

International Whale Shark Day celebrates the biggest fish in the world. It’s not a whale, but it’s nearly as big! Whale sharks can reach 41 feet long. They eat tiny plankton, and have to travel great distances in tropical waters, to find enough to feed their giant bodies. Their teeth are only 6 millimeters long!

Today is Frankenstein Day. Lurch around like Doctor Frankenstein’s creature, or read the original book, written by Mary Shelley. Maybe Frankenstein should have electrified marshmallows instead of people, since it’s Toasted Marshmallow Day. Have a bonfire, and roast one on a stick, or watch a marshmallow grow huge in the microwave!

The East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, teamed up with animal rescuers, to save a tiny hedgehog in England. The animal was trapped in a parking lot drain, and they had to break through a concrete block to free him. After veterinarians make sure he’s okay, they’ll release the hedgehog back into the wild.

The world’s first 3D-printed bridge, was erected in the Netherlands. The footbridge is nearly 40 feet long, made of stainless steel, and strong enough to carry pedestrians and cyclists across the Amsterdam canal. Researchers are excited to study how it holds up to traffic, so they can plan even bigger projects.

A perfectly-preserved woolly rhino was found, in northern Russia. The Ice Age creature was discovered in thawing permafrost, where it had remained frozen for thousands of years. The young woolly rhino lived at least 20,000 years ago, but still has its thick coat of fur, tissues, and internal organs.

In 1860, before the United States Postal Service delivered to the wild west, there was the Pony Express. A chain of horses and riders, carried mail across vast stretches of land to deliver the mail. Today is Pony Express Day! Don’t forget, Inventor’s Month is nearly over. Have you invented something yet?

Today is More Herbs, Less Salt Day. If your food tastes bland, there are many seasonings you can use to add flavor instead of salt. Try smoked paprika, or curry powder. Fresh herbs like mint, basil, and rosemary are easy to grow in your kitchen window. It’s also Lemon Juice Day. Make some mint-basil-lemonade!