Author: Lisa Mungovan

The stores are full of Halloween candy, but you don’t have to wait that long, to satisfy your sweet tooth. Today is Sweetest Day! Created by a candy company 100 years ago, it inspired people to give out boxes of candy, and make it the sweetest day of the year! Have a sweet day!

Derek Ruthruff set a new world record, with his gigantic butternut squash. The previous record was only a week old, but his squash was 1.5 pounds heavier, weighing in at 104.5 pounds. Now, Derek says he’s looking for a qualified chef, with a large enough oven to bake the monster.

Have you ever seen the Orionids meteor shower? The meteors are created by dust and debris left by Halley’s Comet, which burn up in our atmosphere. The best time to see them, is just before dawn. They’ll peak on October 21st, but will also be visible for days before and after.

What were prehistoric Europeans eating during the Iron Age, 2700 years ago? Scientists analyzed ancient poop, that was preserved in salt mines in Austria. They found the same fungi, that we use to make blue cheese and beer today. In addition to beer and fancy cheese, miners ate beans, fruits, nuts, and animal products.

Did you know it’s World Egg Day? Ostrich eggs are so big, that one weighed nearly 6 pounds! A vervain hummingbird’s tiny eggs are only 10 mm long. Snake eggs are leathery, while frog eggs are clear and look like jelly. Even some mammals lay eggs, like duck-billed platypuses and echidnas. Eggs are egg-citing!

Hair. Who needs it! It’s Be Bald And Free Day! If you shave your head, you never have to brush your hair, and you’ll never get hat head when you take off your winter cap. It’s also Dessert Day. Cakes, pies, and cookies, are waiting for you to eat them all up.

Salman al-Nabahin and his son, were planting olive trees in Gaza, when they discovered an enormous ancient mosaic under the dirt. The tiled floor, covered with pictures of birds and other animals, probably dates back to the Byzantine Empire. It could be 1000 years old! Salman says the treasure belongs to every Palestinian.

Are you stressed out? Maybe a kitty cat’s purr, will comfort you. A website called Purrli.com, spelled p-u-r-r-l-i, lets visitors hear a purring cat. You can use sliders to change the purr from playful to sleepy, or add meows-per-minute. Your cat might also enjoy listening to the soothing purrs.

Katmai National Park’s “fattest bear” competition, has a winner. This year, the public voted for 7 4 7. The “Earl of Avoirdupois”, with his “voluminous visage”, is the most “lardaceous leviathan.” The estimated 1400-pound bear has time to pack on a few more pounds, before going into hibernation, and sleeping off his celebration.

Today is World Sight Day. You should visit the eye doctor once a year. Seeing clearly is the best, and you might need glasses to see better. Do you have trouble reading up close? You could be farsighted. It’s also M&M Day, so make sure you’re eating the chocolate candies, and not Skittles!