Author: Lisa Mungovan

Today is Make A Friend Day. It’s fun to make new friends, but it can be hard to meet someone new when you’re shy. You’re in luck, because it’s also Peppermint Patty Day! Offering candy to someone is a great conversation starter, especially when it’s a chocolate covered mint!

A group of hockey players in Canada, is attempting to play the longest hockey game ever, although the extreme cold is making it harder. With temperatures at 58 degrees below 0, the pucks keep shattering! They started the game on February 4th, and plan to play until February 15th, for 252 consecutive hours. Players take 6-8-hour shifts.

After a big snowstorm, people get territorial about the parking spots they shoveled out. The call dibs on spaces, by marking them with cones, lawn chairs, or even pants. The frigid temperatures in Chicago Illinois, inspired one man to freeze his jeans, so they can stand guard. He plans to add a frozen shirt.

A museum in Pompeii Italy, has finally reopened, after 40 years. The Antiquarium was built in 18 73. It holds artifacts from the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which destroyed the city nearly 2000 years ago. The museum had been severely damaged in an earthquake. Visitors are still limited to nearby residents, because of the pandemic.

Have you ever heard of an ice volcano? A hot spring in Kazakhstan, isn’t hot enough to keep it from freezing. As the hot water sprays into the air, it forms a hollow cone of ice. Visitors look forward to its formation every year. This year’s ice tower is already 45 feet high!

Today is Umbrella Day, and Cream Cheese Brownie Day. I wish it would rain delicious cream cheese brownies so I could use my bumbershoot, another name for umbrellas in the 19th century. James Smith and Sons is a London umbrella shop open since 1830. Umbrellas were invented more than 4000 years ago!

2 years ago, David Rush broke the world record for throwing 41 CDs into a bucket, in 1 minute. His record was broken by Jay Rawlings, who managed 46 successful throws. Not to be outdone, David has taken the title back, by tossing 50 CDs into a 12-inch target, over 10 feet away. Don’t try this with your parents’ CDs!

How would you like to live in a house, that’s only 6 feet wide? If living in possibly the skinniest house in London sounds good to you, you’re in luck. It’s for sale, for only $1,300,000. The 5-story rowhouse used to be a hat shop. The realtor compares it to living in a luxury yacht.

A species of chameleon discovered in Madagascar, is the world’s smallest reptile. The brookesia nana, or nano-chameleon, is only an inch long! The brookesia micra was previously the smallest species. The tiny lizard lives on the forest floor, and can’t change color. When you’re that small, you don’t need camouflage. You can hide anywhere!

While millions of people on Earth have gotten vaccinated against COVID-19 so far, there are billions who haven’t. The vaccine hasn’t been approved for kids yet, so they’ll have an even longer wait. The good news is, it appears that the flu vaccine, can make COVID less severe in children. Get your flu shot.