Author: Lisa Mungovan

Every year, the residents of Inkberrow England gather for a switching-on ceremony, of an enormous fir tree. Avril and Christopher Rowlands bought a little Christmas tree in 1979, and planted it in their yard after the holidays. Now, the tree stands 52 feet tall, and can be seen from miles away when it’s lit.

Researchers recently discovered evidence that 12,000 years ago, dogs were hanging out with people. Ice Age canines were found to have salmon proteins in their bones, indicating humans were sharing their meals with the dogs, since canines would not be hunting fish in the wild. Dogs and humans are old friends.

Today is Human Rights Day. 76 years ago, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It said every human being, has the right to equality, life, liberty, personal security, education, information, religious freedom, get married, own property, and be innocent until proven guilty. They also deserve freedom from slavery, torture, and discrimination.

Today is Nobel Day, when the prestigious Nobel Prizes are awarded. The first Nobel Prizes were given out, 121 years ago, according to Alfred Nobel’s last wishes. Each year, people around the world win Nobel Prizes of 10,000,000 Swedish kronor, in the categories of Peace, Physics, Literature, Chemistry, Economics, and Physiology or Medicine.

Today is Dewey Decimal System Day. When you go to the library to look for a book, you’re probably using Melvil Dewey’s classification system, which he invented in 1876. You’ll see the number on the spine of the book, which lets librarians know exactly where to file it!

Today is Llama Day. The furry mammal is a camelid, related to alpacas. They are native to South America, and were domesticated as pack animals, 5000 years ago. Babies are called crias. Llama day celebrations in Canada, include dressing like llamas, sending llama-tines, carving llama- shaped butter statues, and going door-to-door for llama-shaped treats.

It’s World Techno Day! Techno is electronic dance music with a strong beat. Get some glow sticks and party lights, turn up the music, and have a techno dance party! It’s also Pastry Day, so eat some cakes and pies. After all, you need to keep up your energy, to continue dancing all day!

Have you ever heard of Emmett Kelly? Born in 1898, he was one of the first sad-faced clowns, named Weary Willie. Celebrate Weary Willie Day, by painting your face like a clown, superhero, or animal. It’s also the International Day of Veterinary Medicine. A gigantic thank you, to the vets who care for our pets!

You’re never too old, to find new love. 100-year-old Bernie Littman and 102-year-old Marjorie Fiterman became the world’s oldest newlyweds, after falling in love at a senior living home. They’d attended the University of Pennsylvania at the same time years earlier, but had never met. Their first marriages lasted more than 60 years!

Police in Ontario Canada were warning residents of Kemptville to be careful, because there was a wild gang on the loose. A sheep and 2 cows were wandering around the town, and they didn’t want the animals to cause any accidents. The escaped trio was safely captured, and returned to their farm.