Author: Lisa Mungovan

The Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, in California, is the Super Bowl of Pumpkins. The heaviest pumpkin in North America, named Tiger King, won this year’s contest. The new Pumpkin King of Half Moon Bay weighed 2,350 pounds! Travis Gienger traveled 35 hours from Minnesota, refreshing his pumpkin with buckets of water along the way.

Youth hockey players at a New York ice rink, had practice interrupted, when a zamboni caught fire. The machine resurfaces ice, to make it smooth again. The zamboni’s fearless operator, continued to drive the ball of flames off the ice to a maintenance area, where he put the fire out. No one was hurt.

Deserts don’t have trees, right? Wrong. Satellite images of the Sahara and Sahel deserts, show there are actually 1.8 billion trees scattered across the barren sands. Scientists used deep learning to get an accurate number, by training a computer to help them count. Soon, it’ll be possible to map every single tree in the world!

Today is World Food Day, created by the United Nations. This year’s theme is, “Grow, nourish, sustain. Together. Our actions are our future.” During the pandemic, many people have gone hungry, or used food pantries. Others have planted gardens, to grow their own food, or stockpiled canned goods. Have quarantines changed your food habits?

Today is Dictionary Day, so think of a word you don’t know the meaning of, and look it up! Or just flip through the Q and X sections, to find words for your next Scrabble game. It’s also Feral Cat Day. Even if they’re not tame, stray cats appreciate being given food and water.

A woman in New Jersey put out her Halloween decorations, but a little bear thought it was a snack. He took her pumpkin, and carried it away! After dropping the pumpkin once, and having to chase it down the street, the bear took his treat across the road and ate it.

Someone in Canada, is adding commemorative plaques, to park benches in Calgary. The metal plates mark questionable moments in history, such as “Benjy, the first hamster to fly solo around the world,” or “David Johnson forded the Bow River with his herd of 14 African Elephants.” City residents love the prankster’s quirky signs.

The next time you look at the Moon, tell it, “Thank you.” Without it, we might not be living on Earth. 4 billion years ago, as our Solar System was taking shape, the Moon’s magnetic field may have helped protect the Earth from the raging Sun. Otherwise, the solar wind might’ve blown away our atmosphere!

Today is World Students’ Day. The United Nations celebrates the holiday, on Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s birthday. Dr Kalam considered himself to be a lifelong learner, who became a teacher, Aerospace Scientist, and president of India. This year’s theme is, “Learning for People, Planet, Prosperity, and Peace.” Today’s students will create tomorrow’s world.

Go wash your hands. It’s Global Handwashing Day! Washing your hands is an amazingly easy way to stay healthy. Your hands might look clean, but they could still be covered with germs that can make you sick! It’s also Grouch Day. If you’re in a bad mood today, just say you’re celebrating.