Good News in History, January 10
250 years ago today, Thomas Paine published the sensational pamphlet simply entitled Common Sense. Writing in clear and persuasive prose, Paine collected moral and political arguments to encourage common people in the Colonies to fight for egalitarian government. Officially called Common Sense addressed to the inhabitants of America on the following interesting subjects, it was sold mainly […]
Good News in History, January 9
123 years ago today, Wind Cave National Park was established by Congress as the 6th US National Park. It was the first cave to receive government protection of any kind in the modern era. The cave is recognized as the densest cave system in the world, with the greatest passage volume per cubic mile. Wind […]
Good News in History, January 6
63 years ago today, Mutual of Omaha’s ‘Wild Kingdom’ was first broadcast on NBC. Hosted by American zoologist Marlin Perkins and filmed by Jim Fowler, the program won 4 Emmys for Outstanding Program Achievement during its original running on NBC every Sunday. ‘Wild Kingdom’ brought the wilds of the Amazon River, the Serengeti, and more […]
Good News in History, January 5
73 years ago today, Waiting for Godot premiered in France. The tragicomedy play written by Irishman Samuel Beckett in interpretation of an earlier French play, En attend de Godot, it’s regarded by critics as “one of the most enigmatic plays of modern literature.” Featuring two characters spilling their thoughts out as they wait for the eponymous […]
Good News in History, January 2
Today is also National Science Fiction Day, a date that honors the birth, 106 years ago, of literary sci-fi genius Isaac Asimov. A Russian immigrant in Brooklyn, he taught himself to read at age 5, skipped several grades, and got his high school diploma at 15. He sold his first short story at the age […]
Good News in History, January 1
125 years ago today, the Federation of Australia was born. The Constitution of Australia came into force, uniting the 6 colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia under one federal government. The idea of being ‘Australian’ had been celebrated in songs and poems for decades; finally, a fireworks display […]
Good News in History, December 29
On this day 80 years ago, a decade and a half after the Irish War of Independence and its treaty-induced interim government, Ireland was born when it adopted its own Constitution. A document committed to democratic ideals that enshrined the people as masters, it also provided the right to every child for a free primary education provided […]
A Rare Cancer-Fighting Plant Compound has Finally Been Decoded
Canadian researchers have figured out how plants make a rare natural substance—mitraphylline—with its potential for fighting cancer and becoming a sustainable new medicine. Mitraphylline is part of a small and unusual family of plant alkaloids, molecules that are defined by their distinctive twisted ring shapes, which help give them powerful anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory effects. For […]
Lost Grey Seal Pup Rescued After Being Netted by Fisherman 20 Miles Away
A surprised fisherman hooked an unlikely catch the day after Christmas when he netted a lost seal 20 miles up river from the coast. The angler was in a row boat on the River Bure in Norfolk when the grey seal went after his day’s catch of fish. The hungry seal looked up at the […]
New Eco-Friendly Tech Eliminates ‘Forever Chemicals’ With Record-Breaking Speed–And it’s Reusable
University researchers in Texas and Korea have collaborated to developed an eco-friendly water purifier that captures—and destroys—toxic “forever chemicals” (PFAS) more than 1,000 times better than current methods. Their study marks a major milestone in addressing one of the world’s most persistent environmental and health threats. PFAS are synthetic chemicals first created in the 1940s […]