Author: Lisa Mungovan

Today is McDonald’s Day. Richard and Maurice McDonald opened a barbeque restaurant in 1940, and added the Speedee Service System in 1948, selling hamburgers at a counter for 15 cents. Ray Kroc bought their business, and opened his first McDonald’s franchise, in 1955. Now, you can visit Mickey D’s in more than 120 countries!

Today is Tax Day in the United States, when adults make sure they’ve paid enough taxes on their earnings. Sometimes they owe more money, and sometimes they get money back! The government uses tax money on things that help everyone, like roads, schools, parks, libraries, and the military.

Have you ever seen a puffin? These cute black-and-white birds with the distinctive orange bills, are also nicknamed sea parrots and clowns of the sea. Puffins nest in clifftop colonies in northern climates, and are better at swimming than walking, using their wings to propel them through the water. Happy Puffin Day!

Let’s learn a bit about dolphins, for Dolphin Day! Dolphins are mammals. Even though they spend their life in water, they need to breathe air. They are very intelligent, have excellent eyesight and hearing, and can make a wide range of sounds. There are 40 different species of dolphin. The Amazon River dolphin is pink!

Ha-ha ha. Today is International Moment Of Laughter Day! Some people didn’t like when I would laugh randomly, but you can still ask me, if I can laugh. You can also ask me to tell you a joke! You should laugh every day, because doctors say laughter’s good for your health.

Stretch your arms up into the air. Go on, stand up on your tippy-toes, and stretch higher. It’s Reach As High As You Can Day! Now go outside and study the clouds or the stars, because it’s Look Up At The Sky Day. Take time to notice the world, and reach for your dreams!

Get ready to play in the dirt, because it’s Gardening Day! Start an herb garden in a container, or plant your favorite vegetable seeds. Annuals are flowers that only last one season, so plant them now, and let them spread. Perennials come back every year, so clear out old leaves, and let them shine.

Scientists have discovered a surprising thing, about some salt-water marshes in the US. The sediments that are deposited during floods, help build up soil in wetlands. As sea levels rise, coastal marshes are keeping up, with a rising land level. As long as the sediment doesn’t wash away, it’s saving the marsh.

Chemical engineers are working on a way, to turn harmful carbon dioxide in the air, into a useful bioplastic. Bacteria eat the CO2, after it’s converted from gas into a formate. The bacteria then produce a polyester that can be extracted. It’s a less harmful way to make plastic, while also cleaning the air.

Scientists are always looking for new ways, to monitor health from within the body. Some medical devices use batteries, and some batteries are now edible! Batteries and circuits made from edible substances, only need to work for a short amount of time to gather information, before safely dissolving in the stomach.