Don Ritchie, “The Angel of the Gap”
Today in 1926, the birthday of Don Ritchie, a man who helped hundreds of people in the most difficult moments of their lives and helped them find ways to carry on.
Queen Elizabeth II Wrote A Letter To Sydney, Australia That Won’t Be Opened Until 2085
Today in 1926, the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning queen on record, and one that left a letter that she said shouldn’t be opened until the year 2085.
Lennie Gwyther Made A 600 Mile Solo Trip On Horseback At Age Nine
Today in 1932, the start of a road trip you don’t see too often: a nine year old and his horse set off through Australia by themselves for more than 600 miles.
Touch Tone Phones Freed Callers From All That Rotary Dialing
Today in 1963, AT&T launched the first commercial telephone service where customers could use touch-tone devices instead of rotary dial. It started with just two communities in western Pennsylvania, but of course it spread, way way beyond that.
Australia’s Navy Helped Save A Six Year Old’s Life By Enlisting Her
Today in 1920, the Royal Australian Navy added a woman to its ranks for the very first time. Her name was Nancy Bentley, she was six years old, and the Navy “enlisted” her in an effort to save her life.
A Guy In Melbourne Walks Around With A Giant Carrot Just For Fun
It's International Carrot Day. If you want to see a really unique carrot, try Melbourne, Australia, where a guy named Nathan walks around town with a very large papier mache carrot.
Dogpiles Are How Baseball Teams Celebrate Big Wins And Sometimes Hurt Themselves
Today in 1982, the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals made baseball history with the first major league team-wide dogpile, in which players who are celebrating a big moment can sometimes inadvertently hurt each other.
The Pitch Drop Experiment Is A Single Research Project That’s Been Running Since The 1930s
This month in 1930 an experiment to document a very, very slow process began. It holds the world record for longest-running lab experiment: the Pitch Drop Experiment at the University of Queensland.
Two Australians Once Had A Staring Contest For Over 40 Minutes
Around this time in 2011, an event that was definitely not a “blink and you’ll miss it” affair: a staring contest that took over 40 minutes.
Hector, The Thunderstorm That Arrives Like Clockwork Over Australia’s Tiwi Islands
Around this time of year, the Tiwi Islands in northern Australia can start counting on pretty much the same thunderstorm showing up at the same time every day. It's so reliable, they even named it.