Author: Lisa Mungovan

A Puerto Rican man named Emilio Flores, was awarded the world record for oldest living man. He was born August 8th, 19-oh-8, so he’s nearly 113 years old! He has outlived his 10 brothers and sisters, and his wife of 75 years. Emilio’s dad taught him to love everyone, do good, and share everything with others.

There’s a nugget of good news, for the Arctic. Norway is getting rid of their last Arctic coal mine, and turning the area into a huge national park. The Van Mijenfjorden National Park, located on the Svalbard Archipelago will add 1,125 square miles to a protected area for polar bears, seals, and many other species.

In 1867, the British colonies of Nova Scotia, the Province of Canada, and New Brunswick, were united into the single Dominion of Canada. Happy Canada Day to our Canadian friends, and Happy Second Half Of The Year Day to everyone! I wonder if you get another chance to make a New Year’s resolution?

Today is Postal Worker Day, US Postage Stamp Day, and Zip Code Day! Zip codes tell your letter where to go, stamps pay for it, and postal workers deliver it! Thanks post office! It’s also Creative Ice Cream Flavor Day. How about Cherry-Pickle? Use an ice cream maker, to make crazy but delicious combinations.

How many elephants can fit on a school bus?

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Answer! Zero. Elephants don’t go to school! Instead, they walk around in the jungle and make poops so big that it could fill a 5 gallon bucket. Ha ha.

Today is International Joke Day, so tell your favorite old jokes, or make up some new ones!

Last week we celebrated Smurf Day, but one woman was probably more excited than anyone. Her collection of 11,455 unique Smurf items, is the biggest in the world. Gerda Scheuers started collecting the little blue cartoon characters 40 years ago. She wanted to protect her toys after her little brother chewed one up.

The Mississippi River may soon flow under, the world’s longest wildlife bridge. An old bridge which was going to be demolished, will hopefully become Bison Bridge National Park. It will provide safe passage for herds of bison, to cross the river between Iowa and Illinois, while giving people a closer look from glassed-in walkways.

The heat wave hitting North America is subsiding, after breaking many heat records. Canada recorded its highest temperature ever, reaching a scorching 118º Fahrenheit in British Columbia. The blistering temperatures melted power cables and buckled roads, in regions where many people don’t even have air conditioning. Extreme weather will become more common with climate change.

Today is Social Media Day, but most social networking isn’t meant for younger kids. There are safe ways for kids to connect online, like Azoomee, GeckoLife, and Cocoon. No matter what age, everyone should remember not to share personal information online, and never post anything, you wouldn’t be comfortable with the whole world seeing.

Have you ever made a wish on a shooting star? When a meteoroid, sometimes as small as a pebble, falls through Earth’s atmosphere, it heats up. That’s the streak of light we see! Most meteoroids burn up, but if any part reaches Earth, it’s called a meteorite. Today is Meteor Watch Day. Good luck!