Good News Thursday
- Jun 18
- 3 min read
A global collection of positive news stories to get the day off to a bright start.
Harbingers of Happiness
Two juvenile mountain bluebirds were recently photographed enjoying the view at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Many Indigenous North American tribes view the powder blue creatures as harbingers of happiness and good fortune. “The soft mellow warble of the bluebird, heard at its best throughout spring and early summer, is one of the sweetest, most confiding and loving sounds in nature,”
says Thomas Roberts.
11,000 Miles
That's the distance that Vicente Conculini, a World Cup super fan from Argentina, cycled from his home to Kansas City in order to see Argentina compete in the 2026 World Cup. It was worth the ride as Lionel Messi became the World Cup's joint-top all-time scorer with a hat-trick as reigning champions Argentina began their defence with a statement victory over Algeria.
100,000th Image
In 2005, NASA launched the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) from Cape Canaveral. Its mission was to look for evidence that water persisted on the surface of Mars long enough to provide a habitat for life. Over 20 years later, although the mystery remains, this spacecraft has helped astronomers better understand the Red Planet. Recently, the MRO reached a major landmark by snapping its 100,000th image of the Martian surface using its HiRISE camera, which stands for High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment. This device, operated by the University of Arizona in Tucson, has helped NASA keep track of the ever-changing landscapes of our planetary neighbor. The milestone image captures mesas and dunes in a region called Syrtis Major.
Athena Uncovered
A 2-meter-tall (6.6-foot-tall) statue of Athena carved from white marble has been unearthed at the archaeological site of Laodiceia, in modern-day Turkey. The statue was found facedown amid debris and is almost completely intact, with only its head missing. Archaeologists believe the sculpture dates to the reign of Emperor Augustus, who ruled from 27 BCE to 14 CE. On Athena's chest is an aegis, an ancient protective breastplate, featuring an intricate carving of Medusa’s head surrounded by intertwining snakes. Standing atop a circular base, the goddess is depicted wearing a sleeveless peplos, a garment commonly worn by women during the Archaic and Classical periods. A cloak drapes across her shoulders and down her back. Despite its age, the statue preserves an extraordinary level of detail, with folds of fabric rendered so skillfully that one could easily mistake it for being made of actual cloth.
Smelled Good Too: In ancient Greece and Rome, statues not only looked beautiful - they also had lovely aromas. Yes, really.
Dolly's Coffee
A "cup of ambition" is the key to starting the morning off right, at least according to Dolly Parton. Inspired by Parton's Grammy-winning single 9 to 5, the country music phenom is jumping into the coffee business with the launch of her "new signature coffee brand" Cup of Ambition. “I've spent a lifetime workin’ 9 to 5, 5 to 9, and every hour in between! It takes a lot of energy to pursue your passion and navigate each day, that’s why I wanted to make a coffee that works just as hard," says Parton. "You know, I begin each morning with a head full of dreams, a notepad full of ideas, and a cup or two of coffee. Whether you’re chasing dreams, tackling that to-do list, or just enjoying a quiet morning at home, I hope it brings a smile with every sip."
Wind to Quadruple
The world’s offshore wind capacity is set to quadruple over the next decade, with China leading the way. That’s according to the Global Wind Energy Council’s latest audit of the offshore sector. It found that the new offshore wind capacity due to come online in the next decade will be enough to power around 350m homes. “In less than five years we have faced two major crises caused by continued reliance on imported fuels. Building offshore wind turbines along a country’s coast is a way to guard against future supply shocks.”
“Understanding is a two-way street.” Eleanor Roosevelt
On This Day
18 June 1980: Indian "human computer" Shakuntala Devi sets a world record by mentally multiplying two random 13-digit numbers in 28 seconds; she correctly answered that 7,686,369,774,870 × 2,465,099,745,779 = 18,947,668,177,995,426,462,773,730
Today's Articles
Mood Boosting Video
Twilight Jump: U.S. Army parachute team jumps at sunset over the Washington Monument.
