2015 Event Researchers discover a biofluorescent hawksbill sea turtle in waters off of the Solomon Islands; though biofluorescence has been observed in captive reptiles, this is the first occurrence seen in a wild reptile 2015 Event The smaller of twin cubs born to giant panda Mei Xiang at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., has died; though both cubs appeared to be healthy at birth, the smaller cub failed to gain weight and may have caught a respiratory infection 2015 Event Amazon.com joins eBay and others in removing Confederate flag items from its site after last week's shooting of nine African American church members; though part of U.S. Civil War history, the flag is also seen by many as a symbol of racism 2015 Event Scientists discover a huge magma reservoir under Yellowstone National Park that feeds the magma chamber heating the park's geothermal features; though no volcanic eruption is likely for thousands of years, such an event would dwarf all others to date 2015 Event Russia accuses the U.S. of potentially 'destabilizing' Ukraine by sending paratroopers to train reserve military forces; though a cease fire agreement between Ukrainian pro-government and Russian-backed rebel forces is in place, fighting continues 2015 Event Iran will receive an S-300 air defense system from Russia; though the move won't violate U.N. sanctions against Iran, other nations currently in negotiation with Iran over nuclear issues have expressed concern 2015 Event Hackers steal personal data on up to 80 million customers of health insurance provider Anthem, Inc.; though free credit monitoring is being offered to victims, such monitoring won't detect or prevent medical identity theft 2014 Event A bird flu outbreak has been identified on three poultry farms in the Netherlands; though current tests show the virus strain to pose a low risk to humans, infected birds will be slaughtered 2014 Event The Spanish region of Catalonia holds a referendum on independence, despite the ruling by the Spanish court that the vote is unconstitutional; though the government did not interfere with the vote, it will not recognize the results 2014 Event Lawyer Ron Klain has been appointed by U.S. President Barack Obama as Ebola Response Coordinator to organize government response to Ebola cases; though not medically trained, Klain has been selected for his managerial and problem-solving experience 2014 Event Palestine will be officially recognized as a sovereign state by the new government of Sweden; though the U.N. General Assembly supported such recognition two years ago, few nations have officially extended this recognition 2014 Event Legislators in California pass a ban on disposable plastic grocery bags; if approved by Governor Jerry Brown, the ban will be the first implemented across a state, though many cities across the U.S. already have such bans in place 2014 Event The U.S. may cooperate with Iran in identifying options to address the violence in Iraq, though such options would not include military aid; President Barack Obama has sent 257 troops to Baghdad to provide additional security for the U.S. embassy 2014 Event Polio is on the rise as unvaccinated refugees travel across borders; though most prevalent in Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan, infections are now appearing in other parts of Asia and Africa; young children are the most vulnerable 2014 Event The death toll from a landslide covering Hobo Barik, Afghanistan is estimated to be at least 2,000; though only 350 are confirmed deceased, authorities lack the equipment needed to attempt a full rescue 2014 Event The World Bank reports that India is now the third-largest economy behind the U.S. and China on the basis of purchasing power parity; India replaces Japan, though Japan remains in third place when GDPs are compared on an exchange-rated basis 2014 Event The U.S. and Japan have made progress in their joint efforts on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement; though an agreement has not been reached, both nations are interested in continuing negotiations 2014 Event An earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale strikes 58 miles northwest of Iquique, Chile; though larger than the 6.7 quake on March 16th, scientists expect an even stronger quake in this region in the future 2010 Event A new, though threatened, language known as Koro, is discovered by a team of linguists on an expedition to Arunachal Pradesh, in northeastern India 1957 Event Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick rules Bing Crosby can keep token stock in the Detroit Tigers, even though he owns part of Pittsburgh Pirates 1941 Event Japan bombs Manila even though it was declared an "open city" 1941 Event USS Reuben James torpedoed by Germans, even though U.S. is not in war 1797 Event Charles Newbold patents 1st cast-iron plow. He can't sell it to farmers, though, they fear effects of iron on soil! 1456 Event Though she had already been executed, Joan of Arc is acquitted
