Long-Necked Elasmosaur was the Prehistoric Loch Ness Monster

 

An ancient animal that bears a striking resemblance to the Loch Ness Monster -- but that's been extinct for 70 million years -- has emerged from the side of a mountain.
Known as an elasmosaur, the creature roamed the oceans during the Late Cretaceous period. In addition to its signature long neck, the elasmosaur sported two distinct pairs of limbs that scientists think resembled paddles.
Researchers from the University of Alaska Museum of the North recently uncovered Alaska's first elasmosaur specimen in the Talkeetna Mountains.
"We got a good chunk of the animal, but there is still more to excavate," said Earth sciences curator Patrick Druckenmiller in a press release. Druckenmiller added that he hoped to recover the remainder of the creature next year.

Click here for more information from the University of Alaska Fairbanks

Dog Videos

Are you as tired of stupid cat videos as we are?

This Little Dog Is Determined to Keep the Balloon from Touching the Ground

(Video Link)

Rose, a Boston Terrier, has invented a great game! She wants to keep the balloon in the air. She bumps it with her nose, keeping it from hitting the ground. And Rose is good at this game!

Max Gets a Drink

Did you pay a couple grand for a state-of-the-art refrigerator with in-door ice and water dispensers and fancy electronic controls? Maybe you ought to invest in a security camera, too, to determine whether you are drinking water from a nozzle drenched in dog drool.

(YouTube link)

Max discovered how to activate the water dispenser on the refrigerator so he can get a drink anytime he wants. Smart dog, expensive drinking fountain.

The Rescue Swimming Dogs of the Italian Coast Guard

Big, brave, and strong swimmers--Newfoundland dogs have all of the natural characteristics of a rescue swimmer. That's why the Italian Coast Guard employs them for that purpose.
Roberto Gasparri, a dog trainer who works with this program, explained to Dog Heirs that these dogs have a great advantage while in the water:

The dog becomes a sort of intelligent lifebuoy. It is a buoy that goes by itself to a person in need of help, and comes back to the shore also by himself, choosing the best landing point and swimming through the safest currents.

The Newfoundlands can jump out of boats and helicopters and swim through dangerous waters to people in need. Once they reach someone in the water, the victim can grab onto the dog's lifejacket and rest while the dog pulls him to safety.

A Spider Web as Long as a Football Field

A spider web in the north Dallas suburb of Lakeside Park passes from tree to tree and stretches about as long as a football field and up to 40 feet high. Can a spider really spin a web that size? No, but hundreds of spiders can, if they cooperate with each other.

Most spiders work alone, but these massive webs encompass hundreds of spiders -- seemingly working together. Scientists suggest the webs are strung in cooperation in order to take advantage of rare influxes of insects, a hatch of midges or other water-borne insects from the nearby lake.

The spider species has not yet been identified, but is believed to be similar to the Tetragnathus guatamalensis species that built a similar community web in Lake Tawakoni State Park, Texas, in 2007. They are not harmful to people, and experts say it’s best to just let them be. Alrighty then.

The Painted Elephants of India

Charles Fréger, a French photographer, travels the world to reveal to his audiences great mysteries. In the past, we've seen his depictions of the Wild Men of Europe--costumed representations of a folklore stock character. In 2013, he attended and photographed an elephant festival in Jaipur, India. The Daliy Telegraph reports:

The elephants are decorated specially for the festival, their hides painted bright colours, ears adorned with dangling jewels, anklets decked with bells, and tusks decorated with gold and silver rings. Their mahouts dress up in brocade jackets and brightly coloured turbans.
For every other day of the year the elephants are working animals. Traditionally bred and trained for heavy forest work, nowadays they carry tourists up to the Amber Palace, a 12-mile round trip from Jaipur. They are dressed and painted for weddings and special ceremonies, and of course for the festival.

You can see more photos of the elephants at Lost at E Minor.

Naughty pet company ads banned from back of buses

A pet company's edgy advertising has been banned from buses in Christchurch, New Zealand. Pet Central wanted to run ads to promote its three stores on the back of Christchurch's buses but were told by Environment Canterbury (ECan) they were unacceptable because of their "sexual and drug implications". One of the ads features a sketch of the cat tangled in a ball of wool alongside the words 'Puss tangled? Grooming Supplies at Pet Central' while another has a sketch of a fish swimming through weeds next to the words 'Fresh weed weekly. Get your oxygen weed at Pet Central.'

Pet Central owner Linda Ashworth was shocked they were judged too naughty by ECan. "We have not spoken to any person who has taken offense at them," she said. ECan defended its decision not to allow the ads on the buses, saying it had to think about their impact on children. "Like everyone, we appreciate good humor. And of course we see the humor in these ads," ECan's public transport manager David Stenhousesaid. "Individual bus companies usually make the decision on advertisements through their media agency. However, they come to us for a second opinion if they are unsure whether it is appropriate for the audience.
"In this case, these ads are not appropriate for bus backs because of their sexual and drug implications. Our buses are publicly funded, and we believe we have a responsibility to the huge number of children who are exposed to bus advertising when they take or follow the buses," Stenhouse said. "We have not been approached by Pet Central over these advertisements. Our contact was with the bus company and advertising agency," he said. Ashworth admitted the company had deliberately set out to push the boundaries with its advertising but did not believe it had over-stepped the mark. "We are a small company and we are trying to get an edge in the Christchurch market.

"We don't have a lot of money. It's just me. We wanted to have a bit of fun. We wanted people to see the ads and go wow, that's cool what are they going to come with next," Ashworth said. She had tried to get a meeting with ECan to discuss what they found offensive so she could make changes to the adverts, but had been refused. "I think whoever it is who made the decision thinks me and my creative lady are two young girls who are a highly sexed and smoke a lot of dope. If they saw us they would get quite a shock because we are in our 50s and prim and proper," Ashworth said. "We've come to an absolute block wall so we've had to put them on billboards which is not what we wanted to do. We wanted them on the back of the buses."

Man hiked for two days while carrying his dog after it was attacked by a crocodile

A pig hunter in North Queensland, Australia, hiked through the bush for two days, carrying his wounded dog in his arms, after it was attacked by a crocodile along a remote Cape York river. Wayne Best, a bushie, had been out hunting with his bull Arab/greyhound cross Choco along the banks of the Mitchell River, about 300km northwest of Cairns, last Friday morning. The 3½-year-old dog had chased a feral pig close to the river, and cornered it against the bank, when a large saltwater crocodile lunged out of the waterway and grabbed the solid canine by its rear. “It went for the dog and just got him by the arse end, picked him up and just shook him and then went under water,’’ Mr Best said. “That was all that I saw of him.

“About two minutes later, (Choco) pops up again and I didn’t see the croc, and he swam back in (to land). I just grabbed him out of the water and threw him up on the bank there. I had to take him back to camp, splinted him up and fixed a few holes in him, in his belly and stuff like that.” With the nearest community about 100km away, and no vehicle of his own, Mr Best had no choice but start walking through the scrub towards the Burke Developmental Road. When Choco became too heavy to carry, Mr Best fed his wounded pet painkillers from his first aid kit, to allow the animal to hobble along for short distances next to him. After walking an estimated 60km, the duo were able to flag down a motorist, who drove them as far as Chillagoe.
Mr Best and his dog then hiked for another 20km before they were able to hitch another ride to Dimbulah, where he was eventually spotted walking along the highway by long-time friend Shane Waymouth. Mr Waymouth drove Choco the rest of the way to Mareeba, where the dog received emergency treatment at Mareeba Veterinary Surgery on Tuesday morning. Choco was found to have suffered a broken left hind leg, requiring intensive surgery on Thursday afternoon. Mareeba vet Dr Ethan Maloney said Choco’s injuries were indeed consistent with a crocodile attack. “He’s a very lucky dog,’’ Dr Maloney said. “The best thing Wayne did was bring the dog straight to the clinic. It’s going to be a very long recovery, but for the moment, the dog is alive.” Mr Best, who lives off the land most of the year, said he was willing to do whatever it took to save his best friend’s life.
“He’s my mate. He’s like family to me,’’ Mr Best said. “He’s my best friend to me in the whole world. Money means nothing to me. I just want him better. I walked a long way for him, but I would have walked a million and one miles for him if need be.” Mr Best said he had encountered a few crocs, but the one that attacked Choco had thrown him around like a toothpick. “He was a big croc,’’ he said. “He’d be easily over 20ft (6m). I’ve seen a lot of crocs in my life, but he was definitely a big one. If Choco hadn’t been attacked, I would still be on the river myself. It could have gone for me, and nobody would have known where I was.” Mareeba Veterinary Surgery say that Choco is recovering well and is due to be discharged from the clinic and reunited with his owner on Monday. Mr Best and Mr Waymouth had been desperately trying to raise money to pay for Choco’s surgery, with Mr Best chasing fruit-picking work to help pay for the $2,300 vet bill. However, Choco's vet bill has now been paid in full thanks to dozens of donations from the public.

Orphaned baby monkey given piggy back by dog

A motorist in Malaysia spotted an orphaned baby monkey getting a piggy back from a dog. Zainal Azman Hj Bidin saw the dog with the young primate clinging tightly to its back in Temerloh, Pahang.

He said the monkey appeared to be recently orphaned and was being cared for by the dog. "These animals have a gentle nature that should exist in all mankind," he says.

LiveLeak link.

Watch the original Facebook video here.

Animal Pictures

The Daily Drift

Welcome the to Monday Edition of  Carolina Naturally.

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Bahrain - Bangladesh - Cambodia - China - India - Indonesia - Iran - Iraq - Japan - Korea - Kuwait
Laos - Malaysia - Mauritius - Mongolia - Nepal - Oman - Pakistan - Saudi Arabia - Taiwan - Thailand  Tibet - United Arab Emirates - Uzbekistan - Vietnam - Yemen
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Today in History

955		Otto organizes his nobles and defeats the invading Magyars at the Battle of Lechfeld in Germany.
1539		King Francis of France declares that all official documents are to be written in French, not Latin.
1557		French troops are defeated by Emmanuel Philibert’s Spanish army at St. Quentin, France.
1582		Russia ends its 25-year war with Poland.
1628		The Swedish warship Vasa capsizes and sinks in Stockholm harbor on her maiden voyage.
1779		Louis XVI of France frees the last remaining serfs on royal land.
1831		William Driver of Salem, Massachusetts, is the first to use the term "Old Glory" in connection with the American flag, when he gives that name to a large flag aboard his ship, the Charles Daggett.
1846		The Smithsonian Institution is established in Washington through the bequest of James Smithson.
1864		Confederate Commander John Bell Hood sends his cavalry north of Atlanta to cut off Union General William Sherman’s supply lines.
1911		The House of Lords in Great Britain gives up its veto power, making the House of Commons the more powerful House.
1913		The Treaty of Bucharest ends the Second Balkan War.
1941		Great Britain and the Soviet Union promise aid to Turkey if it is attacked by the AxisPowers.
1949		National Military Establishment renamed Department of Defense.
1950		President Harry S. Truman calls the National Guard to active duty to fight in the Korean War.
1954		English jockey Sir Gordon Richards retires with a world-record total of 4,870 victories, later broken by Johnny Longden of the United States. Richards was the first jockey ever to be knighted.
1954		The groundbreaking ceremony for the St. Lawrence Seaway is held at Massena, New York.
1960		NASA launches Discoverer 13 satellite; it would become the first object ever recovered from orbit.
1970		Rocker Jim Morrison tried in Miami on "lewd & lascivious behavior." Although convicted and sentenced to jail, he was free on bond while his case was being appealed when he died in Paris, July 3, 1971.
1975		David Frost purchases the exclusive rights to interview Richard Nixon.
1977		US and Panama sign Panama Canal Zone accord, guaranteeing Panama would have control of the canal after 1999.
1994		The last British troops leave Hong Kong. After 153 years of British rule, the island is returned to China.
2003		For the first time ever, temperatures exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit when thermometers hit 101.3 F (38.5 Celsius)  at Kent.
2006		All toiletries are banned from commercial airplanes after Scotland Yard disrupts a a major terrorist plot involving liquid explosives. After a few weeks, the toiletries ban was modified.

A Few Facts You May Not Know About Lucille Ball

by Eddie Deezen

Who doesn't love Lucy? We can all argue about favorite movies and best actors and finest directors, but when almost anyone is asked "Who is the funniest lady in the history of television?" the answer is pretty much unanimous.
Lucy was a brilliant comedienne, and her classic TV series I Love Lucy has undoubtedly been seen by more people, around the world, than any show in history. Okay, let's take a look at the legendary redhead (one of John Belushi's supreme idols, by the way) the one and only Lucille Ball…
* She used to work as a soda jerk (jerk-ess?). She was fired because she kept forgetting to put bananas in banana splits.
* Lucy was born a brunette. She later was a blond model. It wasn't until she was pushing 30 that Lucy first dyed her hair the world-famous red color. She became a redhead to appear in the 1943 movie Du Barry Was a Lady.
* She modeled under the name Dianne Belmont (after the Belmont racetrack.) She usually modeled heavy fur coats because she was so excessively thin as a young girl.
* Lucy had no eyebrows. For her first movie role in Roman Scandals (1933) she shaved her eyebrows off. (She played a slave girl.) They never grew back.
* Her favorite movie role was in The Big Street (1942). Lucy was extremely proud of her performance and she never forgave ASCAP for not nominating her for a Best Actress Academy Award.
* Lucy was stricken with rheumatoid arthritis early in her modeling career. It took her two full years to re-learn how to walk.
* The first time she met future husband Desi Arnaz, Lucy had a black eye and a torn dress. She had been filming a fight scene in the movie Dance, Girl, Dance (1940). Lucy later put on her own clothes and make-up and saw Desi again.
Desi, who at first did not find her attractive, immediately changed his mind. “That's a big hunk o' woman,” he said.
* Lucy was terrified of birds. Because birds were her main phobia, Lucy refused to stay in any hotel room that had pictures of birds or had birds on the wallpaper. No birds or pictures of birds were ever allowed in her home.
* She was superstitious about using the letters "A" and “R.” Lucy considered them good luck.
* In I Love Lucy she played "Lucy Ricardo.” In The Lucy Show she played "Lucy Carmichael.” In Here's Lucy she played "Lucy Carter.” In Life with Lucy she played "Lucy Barker.”
To her, her career was not hugely successful until she became "Lucy Arnaz" after marrying Desi Arnaz.
* Lucy once panhandled for a penny. As a young girl in New York, she once reached in her pocket and found four cents- one cent shy of subway fare. She panhandled on the street for the penny, until a strange man saw her and offered her ten dollars. (The man was implying he wanted "favors" in return for the money.)
“Look mister,” said Lucy, "All I want is one penny!"
* She was the first woman to ever own her own film studio. As in every actress's (or actor's) dream, she bought RKO studios, a studio that had rejected and fired her earlier in her career.
* Lucy did I Love Lucy to keep her marriage together. Lucy wanted to do the series so she would be able to keep her eye on her "wandering" husband, Desi Arnaz, who had an eye for the ladies.
Henry Fonda was in love with her. According to Fonda's daughter, Jane, her dad fell "deeply in love" with Lucy during the filming of their movie Yours, Mine and Ours (1968). The two were "very close,” recalled Jane (in a Barbara Walters interview).
* She sent Carol Burnett flowers on her birthday. Lucy passed away on April 26, 1989. That day, Carol Burnett received the flowers Lucy had sent her for her birthday.

Brain Carbs

Paleo diet: Big brains needed carbs

Understanding how and why we evolved such large brains is one of the most puzzling issues in the study of human evolution. It is widely accepted that brain size increase […]

This is a "Stockbridge damper"

A Stockbridge damper is a tuned mass damper used to suppress wind-induced vibrations on slender structures such as overhead power lines and long cantilevered signs. The dumbbell-shaped device consists of two masses at the ends of a short length of cable or flexible rod, which is clamped at its middle to the main cable. The damper is designed to dissipate the energy of oscillations in the main cable to an acceptable level. Its distinctive shape gives it the nickname "dog-bone damper".

NYC Cabbie Fined $25K For Locking Door Against Black Executive And Daughters

Cynthia Jordan and her two daughters were on their way to Jordan’s brother-in-law’s birthday party and, after a train ride from Long Island,...

NYC Cabbie Fined $25K For Locking Door Against Black Executive And Daughters

New conspiracy theories

A recent Reddit thread presented some "new" theories:

That the government started the whole tin-foil hat idea because tin foil hats actually amplify, not block, signals.

Michael Jordan did not "retire" from basketball to play baseball for a couple of years. He was suspended by the commissioner for gambling on the sport, but they mutually agreed to not announce it because he was the game's biggest star, and it didn't do either of them any good to expose him.

Those funny "What is your Star Wars name?" type games on Facebook are used to collect your private information, especially answers to your security questions (mom's maiden name, childhood pet, etc...)

New Coke was a maneuver by Coca Cola to reinvigorate their sales by introducing a subpar product and then reintroducing "Coke Classic" to inspire nostalgia. Or it was a clever method to hide the switch from sugar to corn syrup.

That PETA is run by someone in the meat industry to paint animal rights activists as crazy people. They release massive campaigns over ridiculous topics to draw attention away from real issues and make real activists less credible.

Lost cosmonauts. The Russians lost men in space. Gagarin was just the first to return.

That laundry detergent companies put the line over where it needs to be so you'll run out faster.

Magic Johnson never had AIDS. He was paid by the government and insurance companies to say he had aids since he was the height of invincibility and admiration of youngsters at the time

Hitler and the Old West

Hitler's Obsession with the Old West

It's hard to imagine Adolf Hitler being a "fan" of something, but he was obsessed by the American Old West, and one writer in particular. Trace explains.

Irresponsible Police Suggest Florida Killings Linked to Witches

Irresponsible Police Suggest Florida Killings Linked to Witches

A triple murder last month has fueled speculation about a witchcraft-related 'ritual killing,' but that seems unlikely.

Pumpkin Spice Peeps

It’s a combination -or abomination- that had to happen sooner or later. People go nuts about anything with pumpkin spice flavor in the fall, and Peeps are more popular than ever. Now those two things are together at last. Float that marshmallow in your hot cocoa!

The sweet little marshmallow blobs will land just in time for the ever-earlier start of pumpkin spice madness season on August 31st, but only at Target or from the Peeps online store. In other words, you'll be slurping PSLs and munching on pumpkin spice Peeps in no time. No pumpkin spice is safe.

Peeps will also be available in caramel apple and candy corn flavors as well as pumpkin spice. 

How A Painting Revealed The Truth About Watermelon Breeding

It’s often hard for food scientists to discover the truth about how fruits and vegetables used to look before we used breeding to turn them into heartier and more delicious produce.

But if you know where to look you can find out all kinds of things about the past, and when it came to discovering how much watermelons have changed since the Renaissance one professor looked to the world of fine art.

Horticulture professor James Nienhuis used a painting by Giovanni Stanchi as an example of what watermelons used to look like before we bred them to have the dense flesh and bright red color we look for today.
However, the "starring" we see in the watermelon's meat in the painting is something that still happens today due to sub-par growing conditions.
Here's more on how we've perfected the watermelon:

That fleshy interior is actually the watermelon's placenta, which holds the seeds. Before it was fully domesticated, that placenta lacked the high amounts of lycopene that give it the red color. Through hundreds of years of domestication, we've modified smaller watermelons with a white interior into the larger, lycopene-loaded versions we know today.
Of course, we haven't only changed the color of watermelon. Lately, we've also been experimenting with getting rid of the seeds — which Nienhuis reluctantly calls "the logical progression in domestication." Future generations will at least have photographs to understand what watermelons with seeds looked like. But to see the small, white watermelons of the past, they too will have to look at Renaissance art.

Blinding Hogweed

Blinding Hogweed Plant Found in Rural Michigan

A giant plant found in Michigan can cause blistering, scars and permanent blindness. 

When Plants Attack

When Plants Attack: Seriously Harmful Greenery

Gardeners pull weeds, but plants pull some nasty tricks of their own. Within many gardens and lawns lurk poisonous, painful and even deadly plants. 

Smiley Face Sunflower

Gooood morning, sunshine! Flipboard's super neat The Photo Desk profiled this smiley face sunflower as photographed by photographer Yuriko Nakao. Checkout many more of her awesome photos of a field of sunflowers in Tokyo, Japan, in full bloom over at Flipboard.

Watch the Moon Cross the Earth

(YouTube link)

Did you know we have a satellite orbiting a million miles from Earth? That’s beyond the orbit of the Moon. The image here was captured last month by NASA’s Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) on the DSCOVR satellite. It shows the “dark side” of the moon that is not visible from Earth, although it is lit by the sun in the images.

EPIC maintains a constant view of the fully illuminated Earth as it rotates, providing scientific observations of ozone, vegetation, cloud height and aerosols in the atmosphere. Once EPIC begins regular observations next month, the camera will provide a series of Earth images allowing study of daily variations over the entire globe. About twice a year the camera will capture the moon and Earth together as the orbit of DSCOVR crosses the orbital plane of the moon.
These images were taken between 3:50 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. EDT on July 16, showing the moon moving over the Pacific Ocean near North America. The North Pole is in the upper left corner of the image, reflecting the orbital tilt of Earth from the vantage point of the spacecraft.
The far side of the moon was not seen until 1959 when the Soviet Luna 3 spacecraft returned the first images. Since then, several NASA missions have imaged the lunar far side in great detail. The same side of the moon always faces an earthbound observer because the moon is tidally locked to Earth. That means its orbital period is the same as its rotation around its axis.

Read more about the DSCOVR satellite and the images it takes at NASA.

Humane Behavior

"This woman comes to a local humane society and sits in front of the dog's cage and reads books to the dogs."

Discussed at Reddit.  Image original at imgur.

Greenland Mosquitoes

Greenland Mosquitoes Are on the Attack as Climate Warms

Greenlanders are seeing mosquitoes arrive earlier and stay later, in part due to climate change. 

Siwash

The Duck Who Fought with the Marines during World War II

Siwash, a duck, was the mascot of the First Battalion of the Tenth Marine Regiment and later the entire Second Marine Division during World War II. He went ashore with the Marines at the Battle of Tarawa in 1943. There he was cited by fellow Marines for fighting a Japanese-owned rooster. The January 17, 1944 issue of Life magazine quotes the citation:

For courageous action and wounds received on Tarawa, in the Gilbert Islands, November 1943. With utter disregard for his own personal safety, Siwash, upon reaching the beach, without hesitation engaged the enemy in fierce combat, namely, one rooster of Japanese ancestry, and though wounded on the head by repeated pecks, he soon routed the opposition. He refused medical aid until all wounded members of his section had been care of.

The article notes that Siwash was skilled at the Marine sport of drinking beer. After the war, he lived on a farm before working as a Marine recruiter during the Korean War. He died in 1954 in Chicago of a liver affliction.

Little Wallaby Loves His Teddy Bear

Twitter user Tim Beshara of Tasmania sends along this photo by Gillian Abbot, a wildlife caretaker. It shows Doodlebug, an orphaned wallaby. He doesn’t have his family anymore, so he hugs his teddy bear.

Animal Pictures

The Daily Drift

Welcome the to Weekend Expanded Edition of  Carolina Naturally.

Enough Said ...!

 

Carolina Naturally is read in 205 countries around the world daily.   

  
Swinging  ... !

Today is - International Swingers Day

You want the unvarnished truth?

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Some of our readers today have been in:
The Americas
Argentina - Bermuda - Brazil - Canada - Jamaica - Nicaragua - Puerto Rico - United States
Europe
Bosnia/Herzegovina - Bulgaria - England - France - Georgia - Germany - Hungary - Iceland - Ireland 
Italy - Netherlands - Northern Ireland - Norway - Poland - Portugal - Russia - Scotland - Serbia 
Slovakia - Slovenia - Spain - Switzerland - Turkey - Ukraine - Wales
Asia
India - Indonesia - Korea - Lebanon - Malaysia - Mauritius - Singapore - Sri Lanka - Thailand
Africa
Nigeria - South Africa
The Pacific
Australia - Philippines

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Today in History

480 BC		The Persian army defeats Leonidas and his Spartan army at the battle Thermopylae, Persia.
48 BC		Julius Caesar defeats Gnaius Pompey at Pharsalus.
1483		Pope Sixtus IV celebrates the first mass in the Sistine Chapel, which is named in his honor.
1549		England declares war on France.
1645		Settlers in New Amsterdam gain peace with the Indians after conducting talks with the Mohawks.
1805		Austria joins Britain, Russia, Sweden and the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia in the third coalition against France.
1814		Andrew Jackson and the Creek Indians sign the Treaty of Fort Jackson, giving the whites 23 million acres of Creek territory.
1842		The Webster-Ashburn treaty fixes the border between Maine and Canada’s New Brunswick.
1859		The escalator is patented. However, the first working escalator appeared in 1900. Manufactured by the Otis Elevator Company for the Paris Exposition, it was installed in a Philadelphia office building the following year.
1862		At Cedar Mountain, Virginia, Confederate General "Stonewall" Jackson repels an attack by Union forces.
1910		The first complete, self-contained electric washing machine is patented.
1930		First appearance of the animated character Betty Boop ("Dizzy Dishes").
1936		Jesse Owens wins four gold medals in track and field events at the Berlin Olympics.
1941		President Franklin Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill meet at Placentia Bay, Newfoundland. The meeting produces the Atlantic Charter, an agreement between the two countries on war aims, even though the United States is still a neutral country.
1944		Fictional character Smokey the Bear ("Only you can prevent forest fires") created by US Forest Service and the Ad Council.
1945		The B-29 bomber Bock’s Car drops a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan.
1965		Singapore expelled from Malaysia following economic disagreements and racial tensions; becomes independent republic.
1969		Charles Manson’s followers kill actress Sharon Tate and her three guests in her Beverly Hills home.
1971		Le Roy (Satchel) Paige inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame.
1974		Gerald Ford is sworn in as president of the United States after the resignation of President Richard Nixon.
1975		First NFL game in Louisiana Superdome; Houston Oilers defeat New Orleans Saints 13-7.
1979		England’s first major nude beach established, at the seaside resort of Brighton.
1992		Twenty-fifth Olympic Summer Games closes in Barcelona, Spain.
1999		Russian president Boris Yeltsin fires his prime minister and, for the fourth time, fires the entire cabinet.
1999		The Diet of Japan establishes the country’s official national flag, the Hinomaru, and national anthem, "Kimi Ga Yo.".

Underwater 'Stonehenge'

Underwater 'Stonehenge' Monolith Found Off Coast of Sicily

A mysterious Stonehenge-style monolith sheds new light on the earliest civilizations in the Mediterranean basin.

Earth News

Hawaii May Say 'Aloha' to More Hurricanes

Hawaii could see more hurricanes and tropical storms like Guillermo in its vicinity thanks to the influence of global warming. 

See All of 2015's Rain for the US in 14 Seconds

NASA satellites have sent back a detailed view of rain and snow across the U.S. so far this year. It shows the West's drought and Plain's epic rains.

Hopes Dim for Reversing Ocean Warming: Study

Even with deep cuts in CO2 emissions, it's probably too late to reverse the warming of the oceans so far, new studies conclude.

Camouflaged man lurks in bushes to catch dog mess offenders

A man angered by owners not clearing up after their dogs is dressing in camouflage and hiding in bushes in the hope of catching them in the act.
Andrew Hawes, from Leiston, Suffolk, plans to take photos of the culprits and publish the pictures online if they refuse to clear up the mess. Mr Hawes said he would pass the details to police once offenders are identified. Lorry driver Mr Hawes, will use 10 days of holiday hiding in bushes around Leiston.
"If I have to go to court to explain my actions, if it's saving a child from getting dog mess in their eye and going blind through disease, so be it," he said. Mr Hawes, who believes his experience as a deer stalker will help his pursuit, said the sight of the mess previously made him cry.

"If they don't clear up after their dog I'll pop out of the hedge and say, 'excuse me, could you please clean up after your dog? You're being filmed - if you clean up the film will be deleted straight away - if not you'll be reported to the police' - as long as the person isn't about 7ft tall."
There's a short video here.

Woman tried to transport Shetland pony from Germany to Czech Republic in Fiat Panda

A woman from Lower Saxony in Germany was stopped by police on Tuesday for trying to carry a Shetland Pony out of the country in the boot of her Fiat Panda.

The horse owner from Bad Bentheim had already carried the pony around 100 kilometers (60 miles) when police noticed her unusual passenger.
Officers stopped the car close to Hanover and after opening the boot, freed the animal from its tiny enclosure. Despite the woman having covered the car boot with straw, it was far from an appropriate means of transport.
The woman had been heading to the Czech Republic with the animal, but was forced to cut the journey short. Officers took the pony to the police station in nearby Bad Oeyerhausen. It's not yet known whether the woman will be charged with a violation of the Animal Protection Act.