Today's tasty bite-sized chunks of upbeat news.
Remarkable Achievement
You probably remember that Hollywood heart throb Ryan Reynolds and his friend Rob McElhenney took over an obscure Welsh football team in 2021. At the time, Wrexham had been out of the Football League for 15 years. However, amazingly, last year the team secured promotion to the Football League and now Reynolds said he cried "tears of joy" after Wrexham secured a second successive promotion, securing their place in League One next season with a thumping 6-0 win over Forest Green. Fans poured onto the pitch to celebrate at the end of the game at the Racecourse Ground. Since taking over the club in February 2021, McElhenney and Reynolds, along with their popular Welcome To Wrexham docuseries, have propelled the club into the global spotlight.
Record Donations
Donating blood gives a glimmer of hope to someone in need. That’s why Josephine Michaluk, an 81-year-old woman from Alberta, Canada, is committed to helping others in this way. Michaluk’s kindness all began in 1965 at the age of 22, when she went to a blood donation appointment with her sister. Since then, she has been dedicated to donating blood for as long as her body allows her to. Last year, at the age of 80, the inspiring octogenarian officially earned the Guinness World Records title for the most whole blood donated by a female. She had donated 203 pints of blood at that point. Thus far, she has reached a total of 209 blood donations, and she isn’t done yet.
Chaucer Online
Geoffrey Chaucer's remarkable works earned him the title of “father of English literature,” and his influence can still be felt over six centuries after his passing. His most famous book, The Canterbury Tales, was published around 1400, meaning its earliest incarnations weren't easily accessible for readers and academics around the world - until now. The British Library has announced that they've completed the digitization of all of their pre-1600 manuscripts containing Chaucer’s works. Meanwhile, something even older has emerged from the ruins of Pompeii...
Dazzling Artwork
Stunning artworks have been uncovered in a new excavation at Pompeii, the ancient Roman city buried in an eruption from Mount Vesuvius in AD79. Archaeologists say the frescos are among the finest to be found in the ruins of the ancient site. Mythical Greek figures such as Helen of Troy are depicted on the high black walls of a large banqueting hall. The room's near-complete mosaic floor incorporates more than a million individual white tiles. The black room is the latest treasure to emerge from the excavation, which started 12 months ago.
Crazy But True
We may have hit peak footwear! Pringles has joined forces with Crocs to unveil a truly bizarre collection. Amongst this collection is the Classic Crush Boot which they claim "dazzles with its classic 'Pringles-red' hue and a unique heel that mimics the appearance of stacked chips" - but that's not the pièce de résistance. Perhaps the boot’s most distinctive feature is the custom holster that's designed to snugly fit an actual can of Pringles, ensuring fans can carry their favourite flavours on the go. Set to release globally today, the snack-themed collection will be available via Crocs with price starting from $20 USD. Hurry!
Germany Pulls Plug
Germany has pulled the plug on 15 coal-fired power plants as part of plans to shelve the fossil fuel entirely by the end of the decade. The decommissioning of seven lignite-fuelled plants had been delayed to preserve natural gas supplies during the energy crisis, however they’ve now been shuttered alongside eight more. German economy minister and Green party politician Robert Habeck said they were now “neither necessary nor economical”.
"Enduring peace cannot be bought at the cost of other people's freedom." Franklin D. Roosevelt
On This Day
16 April 1912: American aviator Harriet Quimby became the first woman to fly across the English Channel, guiding her French Blériot monoplane through heavy clouds from Dover, England, to Hardelot, France.
Mood Booster
Blooming Marvellous: Cacti bloom overnight and the flowers last for only a day.