Author: Lisa Mungovan

An Irish man set a world record, by going for an icy swim. Limerick’s 66-year-old Ger Purcell, became the oldest man to swim an Ice Mile. Rules say the water must be below 23 degrees-Fahrenheit, and the swimmer can’t take any breaks. It took Purcell 43 minutes to complete the frigid swim, in Ireland’s River Shannon.

Seville has 50,000 bitter orange trees lining the streets. The Spanish city has found a use for the 11,000,000 pounds of sour oranges, that fall and get squished in the roads. They’re using the juice to create energy. 2000 pounds of oranges can create a day’s worth of electricity for 5 homes, then become compost in local fields.

Springtime is coming, along with allergies for many people. Remember to sneeze into your elbow! Also, wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds, every time you blow your nose. Watch the Mythbusters Contamination Experiment, and Safe Sneeze, on YouTube. You’ll see how easy it is to spread your snot to everyone. Gross.

Today is Carpe Diem Day, which means Seize the Day. There’s no time like the present, to do something exciting, because you never know what the future will bring. It’s also Pistachio Day, so while you’re seizing the day, seize a bag of pistachios, and seize a hammer to smash open the uncracked nuts.

Once upon a time, a man named Levi Strauss, sold some denim to a tailor named Jacob Davis. Using Levi’s business know-how, and Jacob’s magical copper rivets, Levi Strauss and Company gave the world magnificent jeans! They all lived happily ever after. It’s Levi Strauss Day, and Tell A Fairy Tale Day. Happy storytelling!

Plastic bags, bottles, and straws are just a few of the plastics polluting the Earth. Take a step to help clean it up, by not using those things in the first place! Today is Skip The Straw Day. If you can’t handle strawless drinking, get a reusable metal or bamboo straw to use instead!

The world’s largest snow maze, in Manitoba Canada, just got twice as big. To allow for social distancing, A Maze in Corn’s snow maze now covers 57,600 square feet. The path through thick walls of snow, will help you keep your head cool, while you try to find your way out.

Are you overdue for a haircut, because of the pandemic? A sheep named Baarack in Australia, knows how you feel. After living in the wild for several years, he received a well-deserved haircut, at Edgar’s Mission Farm Sanctuary. They sheared off 78 pounds of wool! Baarack loves his new home, and new hairdo.

Ohio’s Xavier College and the University of Cincinnati, are rivals. They’re trying to outdo each other, in an unusual competition. The colleges are showing support for area restaurants, by seeing which school can give the biggest tip. Xavier College alumni started with a 1000-dollar tip, so UC fans left $1001. They’ve tipped over $34,000 so far!

4,600 years ago, an artist painted 3 different types of beautiful geese, on the wall of an Egyptian prince’s tomb. Researchers couldn’t agree on all of the species, until an evolutionary biologist got involved. He concluded the goose in question was extinct. The painting is the only way we know, that type of goose ever existed.