Mind the Gap! (Picture of the Day)
Today marks the 149th anniversary of the opening of the London Underground, the world's first subway. Read the rest of this entry »
The Tucson Shooting, One Year Later (Picture of the Day)
On the evening of January 8, Tucsonans gathered to commemorate the first anniversary of a mass shooting in which six residents of the city died and another dozen were wounded, some severely, among them Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Read the rest of this entry »
Margaret Thatcher: The U.K.’s Metal Matriarch
Margaret Thatcher, the former U.K. prime minister (1979–90) and self-anointed "Iron Lady of the Western world," is taking another turn in the spotlight, albeit by proxy, with Meryl Streep donning her power suits and trademark bouffant in a new biopic.
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Read the rest of this entry »
Lincoln Park Zoo New Arrivals: Hoffmann’s Two-Toed Sloth
Britannica Blog partner Lincoln Park Zoo maintains a running list of new arrivals in its collections. Have a look at the adorable baby Hoffmann's two-toed sloth born there in 2011 (and his equally adorable mom) and take a few minutes to read what Britannica has to say about these ponderous arboreal mammals. Read the rest of this entry »
How Much Does Earth’s Atmosphere Weigh?
A lot of people wonder how much our planet itself weighs. But what about its atmosphere? Read the rest of this entry »
How Humans Evolved Large Brains (Science Up Front)
In a study published recently in the journal Nature, a team of scientists from the University of Zürich suggest that the evolution of the large human brain was the outcome of a major energy-saving development, most likely bipedalism. Read the rest of this entry »
Who’s Who at the Iowa Caucus
The road to the 2012 U.S. presidential election begins in earnest today, with the start of the primary and caucus season. All eyes will be on Iowa, where Republican hopefuls will compete for a critical early win. Read the rest of this entry »
10 People You Shouldn’t Forget
Every year, Britannica Book of the Year's editors and contributors write hundreds of obituaries that distill a person's significance into a compact form. The following 10 people are only a small sampling of those whose deaths have drawn the notice of Britannica's editors over the past 12 months. All are worth remembering in 2012.
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Read the rest of this entry »
Townes Van Zandt, “Pancho and Lefty” (Great Moments in Pop Music History)
Bedeviled by drink and drug, Townes Van Zandt wrote some of the most memorable tunes in the modern country canon. Step inside for three of them, including his classic song "Pancho and Lefty."
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Read the rest of this entry »
The Euro Turns 10 (So How’s that Working Out for You?)
The euro turns 10 on Sunday. As the euro zone continues to grapple with an ongoing sovereign debt crisis, Britannica offers a brief history of the single currency's sometimes turbulent first decade. Read the rest of this entry »
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