On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed a law that created the National Park Service. It was designed to manage and care for the U.S. national parks. At that time, the United States had 35 national parks and monuments.…
Everyone knows what happens if you get stuck standing under a mistletoe around Christmas time. You get a big smooch! But did you know that people have been telling legends of this fascinating plant for thousands of years? They thought it could cure diseases, ward…
On December 7, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright flew their first successful airplane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Now a group of airplane lovers are working to raise $4 million to restore the last authentic Wright Brothers airplane. The plane is…
This fall, students in an American literature class at the California University of Pennsylvania have an unusual textbook — the actual journal of a Civil War soldier. George Phillips fought in the 102nd regiment of the Pennsylvania infantry. He wrote…
On November 11, Americans around the country honor the men and women who have served in the armed forces. Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day. This was because World War I ended on November 11, 1918. However, in 1954,…
St. Louis’s well-known monument, the “Gateway Arch to the West,” was completed 50 years ago. Architect Eero Saarinen designed it to honor the pioneers who moved west. But did you know that the Arch also shows some important scientific discoveries?…
The tallest mountain in North America is officially taking its name back. President Obama announced in September that Alaska's Mount McKinley will officially be known as Denali. Locals have already been calling the mountain Denali for generations. The name comes from the…
A new battery could "change the way the world uses energy," according Elon Musk, whose company Tesla Motors Inc. developed the product. The system is called Tesla Energy, and it has the potential to make homes free of fossil fuels. The batteries can store energy from…
Boston set a record this winter that many Bostonians would just as soon like to give back. With 2.9 inches (7 cm) of snow on Sunday, Boston's seasonal total snowfall grew to 108.6 inches (276 cm). That beat the previous record, set in the winter…
Paul Bunyan most certainly hailed from Bemidji, Minnesota. That is, unless he came from Bangor, Maine. Both cities have statues of the giant folk hero lumberjack, and both cities claim he was born there. The two cities have had a friendly rivalry…