Author: Lisa Mungovan

Happy Moon Day. 51 years ago, the Apollo 11 mission successfully landed the first men on the Moon. Neil Armstrong took the first steps on the Moon, and Buzz Aldrin followed. Meanwhile, Michael Collins orbited the Moon in the Columbia Command Module. Only 8 other people have walked on the Moon since then!

A hula hoop club in India, can run rings around other hoopers. They recently broke 4 world records! In 1 minute, 11-year-old RS Janai completed 24 elbow passes, 16-year-old Tarun did 194 knee rotations, 8-year-old E Guru Prasath completed 211 neck rotations, and 15-year-old Lalith Anisshvar did 220 arm rotations. That’s one accomplished hula hoop troop!

Long ago, Susan Wagner lost her boyfriend’s class ring in the sand, on an Indiana beach. She bought him a replacement, they got married, and 46 years later, the ring is back! 9-year-old Haddie Hollingsworth found it while she was building a sand castle. Her grandma had gone to school with the ring’s owner!

Periodical cicadas are singing their songs, and they’re loud! The brood 9 cicadas spent the last 17 years underground as nymphs. Now they’re crawling out, shedding their skins, and singing as loud as a motorcycle, to find a mate. The volume can reach over 90 decibels! They are large, harmless and amazing, so don’t freak out!

Do you ever just want to scream? A new app, will broadcast your scream into the wilderness, so you can really release all your pent-up frustration. It’s part of an ad campaign for Iceland. Visit LooksLikeYouNeedIceland.com, to record your scream. The site also offers screaming tips, like standing with your feet apart. Try it!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! It’s Ice Cream Day, so raid your freezer. It’s also the perfect time to make your own, so you can try crazy flavors. If it’s yummy, you could win Haagen-Daaz’s Fantasy Flavor Scoop-Off contest. Comment with your most creative flavor, on their Instagram page.

Last night in London England, everyone was reminded to be happy. A giant yellow smiley face, lit up the Houses of Parliament! The cosmetics company Ciaté London, introduced the new eyelashes-and-lipstick-wearing smiley, with the 80-foot wide display. It was projected across from the hospital, so it cheered up patients also. Smile and be positive!

A farm in France, is producing organic fruits and vegetables, right in the middle of Paris. The urban farm is on the rooftop! Nature Urbaine uses vertical aeroponic growing techniques, so they don’t need dirt. And since they sell everything right in the city, they don’t need trucks! Rooftop gardens are great!

Today is the beginning of Moth Week, a citizen scientist project to study moths. The biggest moth in the world, is the Atlas moth, with a 12-inch wing span. Smaller ones are also easy to find, by leaving a porch light on at night. Look closely, to find moths camouflaged on trees.

Today is Mandela Day, in honor of Nelson Mandela. The former President of South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize winner, spent his life fighting racial discrimination and segregation, called apartheid. Mandela was South Africa’s first black president, winning the first democratic election after apartheid ended. He was born on this date, 102 years ago.